County: Mayo Site name: WESTPORT INDUSTRIAL PARK, Westport
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 94E0184
Author: Frank Ryan
Site type: House - 18th century
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 498799m, N 785653m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.810551, -9.536633
Following discovery of a tunnel and evidence of a dry-stone wall during clearance of a factory unit site, the area was examined by archaeologist Gerry Walsh who recommended that further exploration was necessary. The area contained four mature sycamore trees which appeared to form part of a circular enclosure or tree ring. It was defined in part by a wide ditch which delimited the north end of the site and by the exposed dry-stone wall which enclosed the southern perimeter containing within an area of approx. 1000 sq.m (35m x 30m) at the bottom of a hill.
Mayo County Council agreed a 15-day period to explore the area in order to ascertain the archaeological significance of the site.
With the aid of five council workers, the foundations of an 18th-century house measuring 18m x 6.5m were revealed. The house comprised four rooms in a row, aligned east/west with the front facing south. The walls had been robbed out leaving little but the foundations and some sub-floor features intact. The foundations consisted of partially faced unmortared granite masonry. A stone-lined drain ran beneath floor level across the house from front to back and under a group of large flat slabs which were laid outside the front of the house. These were surrounded by cobble stones within a 12 sq. m area. The house was enclosed by two parallel walls of dry-stone masonry which formed a trench measuring 1.4m wide and approx. 1m in depth.
A well-constructed semi-circular tunnel measuring 0.7m radius ran for 6m north-south and beneath the south side of the perimeter trench. It was built to within 8m of the house. Finds included two George III coins.
It was recommended that the site be preserved and incorporated as a recreation feature within the industrial complex for the following reasons:
There appears to be no written records of the existence of the house and if it were destroyed it would quickly be forgotten.
Its preservation would ensure continued interest in the site and raise questions which may prompt local enquiry into its past use.
Clooncundra, Belcarra, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
