County: Leitrim Site name: LISSEEGHAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 31:40 Licence number: 94E0171
Author: Hilary Opie
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 597951m, N 799012m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.940444, -8.031197
Archaeological trial trenching was carried out adjacent to Lisseeghan ringfort, Co. Leitrim, between October 17 and October 20, 1994. The proposed roadtake for the Drumsna-Jamestown by-pass scheme passes within 2.5m of the bank of the earthen ringfort and although the bank itself did not encroach upon the roadtake there was the possibility that part of the outer fosse/ditch may have extended into the area.
Eight trial trenches were opened adjacent to the ringfort. No finds or features of archaeological importance were observed in any of the test trenches. Trenches 5, 6 and 8 lay closest to the ringfort and although they produced no evidence of an outer fosse/ditch they did contain a shallow layer of modern drain material. It is possible that at this point the ringfort's outer ditch was incorporated into a modern field drainage system (which is still in use). However, none of the material observed can be considered part of the original ditch fill which would appear to lie completely off the proposed roadtake.
16 Ormond Sq., Dublin 7, for Valerie Keeley-Schmidt
