County: Galway Site name: KILEELY BEG
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Suzanne Zalac
Site type: Earthworks
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 542863m, N 718730m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.215914, -8.855482
A two-week trial excavation commenced at Killeely Beg, Kilcolgan, Co. Galway, on 22 May 1989. It was prompted by the proposed construction of a dwelling house within the confines of a possible antiquity.
The partial remains of two straight-sided enclosures made up the excavation site, collectively forming part of an impressive series of earthworks radiating from the medieval church of Killeely.
The larger of the two enclosures covered an approximate area of 43m north-south x 41m east-west. A circular depression in the north-west corner may have been the remains of a hut site; a smaller enclosure lay to the north-east measuring 8m north-south x 12m east-west. Both were delimited by a low grassy bank. In all, 6 cuttings were investigated. A compact clay formed the bank material of the larger enclosure. It had a base width of 2.6m and a height of 0.3m. Collapsed stone representing a later boundary covered the top and down slopes. There was no evidence of an external ditch.
A sherd of pottery and a small piece of bone decorated with dot and circle motif were found. Within the interior stratigraphy was shallow and boulder clay consistently emerged c.0.4m below the sod. Natural deposits of chert occurred frequently and some struck pieces were uncovered.
A V-shaped pit was located on the outer face of the smaller enclosure. It had been formed by removing boulder clay to a depth of 1m. This was then re-used for the construction of the bank which had a base width of 1.8m and a height of 0.3m. A large concentration of seashells and sparse inclusions of animal bone formed the fill of the pit.
Both enclosures were essentially earthen though a difference of almost 1m occurred in the base width of the bank. They seemed to have also differed in original morphology. The larger one was suggestive of a field system. The second appeared to have been built into it. It had a possible entrance at the north and may represent a house site. None of the finds could be dated though both enclosures are likely to be associated with the medieval church. The possibility of an earlier origin may also exist, with a number of Early Christian features surviving nearby e.g. Cyclopian masonry in Killeely Church, a bullaun stone, rotary quern and a holy well.
Carrowgarve, Crossmolina, Co. Mayo
