2025:060 - Callow Lake and Attymass Group Water Schemes, Mayo

A programme of archaeological monitoring was undertaken to facilitate the installation of 7km of a new watermain  for the Callow Lake and Attymass Group Water Schemes, in Co. Mayo.

The requirement for archaeological monitoring arose from Condition 22 of Mayo County Council’s grant of permission for the scheme which required that ‘all groundworks for open cut trenching in the protected zones marked around Recorded Monuments and Places must be carried out subject to continuous archaeological monitoring’. The scheme crossed the Statutory Zones of Notification (ZoN) for enclosures MA049-077---- and MA061-020---- , in the townlands of Creggagh and Coollagagh respectively.

At MA049-077---- archaeological monitoring of pipe laying took place between August 19 and 21 2024. A trench was cut in the western verge of the L1321 and continued northwest for a distance of 77m. The works then crossed both carriageways and entered a pasture field to the east of the road, where trenching continued in a north-west direction for 41m before re-entering the L1321 outside the ZoN.

At MA061-020---- archaeological monitoring of pipe laying took place on ‎August 27 ‎2024. Archaeological monitoring commenced the north-west limit of the ZoN, where a trench was cut in the southern verge of the N26 which continued southeast for a distance of 84m through the whole of the ZoN.

Nothing of archaeological significance was identified at either monitoring location. All ground reduction works are now complete.