2026:221 - Former grounds of Athenry House, Athenry, Galway

Archaeological testing of the site of a permitted development within the former grounds of Athenry House, Athenry, County Galway was undertaken in early July 2026. This site was subject to a large-scale excavation under Ministerial Consent (C182) in 2007 as part of a previous failed development attempt. The vast majority of the site was reduced into sterile substrate as part of these works.

The subject testing programme targeted areas of residual topsoil cover within the site. It was supplemented by licensed metal detection (26R0356) of the test trenches and associated spoil. Only modern metal detritus was encountered during the detection survey.

The testing programme comprised the excavation of five test trenches, measuring 1.5m in width and totalling 63m in length. Trenches 1 to 4 which were excavated within the 30m-wide buffer zone to the north of the medieval town wall of Athenry (GA084-001001-) in the south-eastern corner of the development site, proved to be devoid of archaeological material.

It was originally intended to excavate a fifth trench (Trench 5) within this area, however, the proposed alignment of Trench 5 proved to be on the route of a concrete-encased sewerage pipe. As a result, this trench was mothballed.

Three features of interest were revealed within Trench 6 which was excavated to the north of the 18^th-century outbuilding in the northern portion of the site. Two of these features (T.6; F.1 and T.6; F.2) appear to be related to elements associated with the truncated 18^th-century outbuilding and, as such, are early modern in date. However, the third feature revealed within Trench 6, a potential wall foundation trench (T.6; F.3), does not correspond to any walls or features depicted on the early edition OS maps and will require further investigation.

Further phases of archaeological mitigation will be carried out within the development site in the coming months.