County: Galway Site name: ARDRAHAN SOUTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 114:001 Licence number: —
Author: Colin Breen c/o Archaeological Services Unit, University College Galway
Site type: Cross - Market cross
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 546062m, N 712331m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.158748, -8.806506
The Archaeological Services Unit at UCG was contracted by Galway County Council to monitor the removal of a market cross and the re-alignment of the N18 at Ardrahan, a medieval borough, in Co. Galway. This monitoring was carried out between 14th September and 2nd October, 1992.
The cross consisted of a 4-sided limestone shaft with a pyramidal top and was of later 18th or early 19th century date. The cross was recorded and removed for storage at the County Council's depot. It was located beside a grassy mound which was sectioned and proved to be of no archaeological importance.
Two trenches both over 300m in length were mechanically dug on either side of the existing road to accommodate piping. It was apparent that when this road was originally built, any surviving archaeology would have been destroyed due to the extensive lowering of the ground level at that time. Two post-medieval drainage features were found and a section of the ditch by Ardrahan Castle was also recorded. Aside from these features no other archaeological strata remained and there were no finds.
