County: Sligo Site name: CARROWMORE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 14:09 Licence number: 94E0194
Author: Charles Mount
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 566058m, N 833705m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.251065, -8.520823
A condition of the planning permission granted by Sligo County Council for the construction of a lunging area for horses at Carrowmore, Co. Sligo, was that an archaeologist monitor the ground disturbance caused by the construction and if required carry out a test excavation. This work was carried out on December 8, 1994.
The site is situated to the south of Knocknarea across the road from the OPW Visitor's Centre at Carrowmore.
The excavation of three test trenches was carried out in order to test a rectangular mound of material measuring approximately 60m by 30m. The landowner stated that this material had been largely redeposited as a result of construction. There was no sod and the surface material consisted of wood chips mixed with gravel. The three excavated cuttings were spaced 15m apart and each measured 20m long and 1.4m wide. The landowner intended to reduce this material by 1.1m in height and the test trenches were excavated to 1.1m in depth. The stratigraphy in these trenches was uniform and was noted as a layer of wood chips and gravel extending from the surface to some 0.2m in depth. Below this was a light grey boulder clay with large limestone boulders which extended a further 0.8m deep. In places, at about 1m in depth, bottles, plastic bags and biscuit wrappers were observed, indicating earlier disturbance. Occasional sherds of 19th-century white and china glazed pottery were also noted. As no archaeological material was noted in the test trenches it was recommended that the landowner continue with the development.
Foxhill, Wheaton Hall, Drogheda, Co. Louth
