2025:665 - Athenry, Galway

The archaeological monitoring of ground disturbance associated with the development of an external covered yard in the townland of Athenry was completed on 6 August 2025. The works were located at the site of the existing handball alley in the south of the town and within the historic town (RMP GA084-001).   A stone wall forms the boundary to the site in the north-east with a modern concrete block wall in the north and south. The stone wall, which may have originally surrounded the garden of Athenry House, was conserved as part of the works associated with the construction of a commercial development to the north of the site. Six foundation pits were excavated in the north of the site between the existing Ball Alley and the mass concrete boundary wall. These trenches generally measured 1m x 1m and were excavated to a depth of 0.6-0.8m. The stratigraphy consisted of stone (804) over a gravel fill material to 0.5m over a brown topsoil.  Seven pits were excavated in the south and east of the site. Three pits were excavated along the eastern boundary wall of the site. The pits measured 1m x 1.2m and were excavated to an average depth of 0.95m. The stratigraphy generally consisted of 804 fill 0.2m over topsoil to 0.5m over a grey/yellow sandy gravel. Four pits were excavated in the south of the site and generally measured 1m x 1m and were 0.6-0.8m in depth. The stratigraphy was the same as elsewhere with fill material 0.2m over topsoil and a natural gravel layer. Nothing of archaeological significance was encountered in any of the pits excavated.