County: Donegal Site name: BALLYLOSKY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 11:37 (adjacent to) Licence number: 95E0149
Author: Gerry Walsh
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 646541m, N 944481m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 55.245295, -7.268105
The site of the proposed development is located 20m south of the enclosing element of an early ecclesiastical site recorded in the Archaeological Survey of County Donegal as site No. 1517 (1983, 243).
In July 1995, a series of seven test-trenches were excavated down to natural boulder clay or gravel with a mechanical digger at the northern end of the proposed development site. Trenches 1-5, which ran in a north-south direction, were 30m long. Trench 6 ran perpendicular to Trenches 1–5 and was 75m long. Trench 7, which was parallel to and approximately 30m south of Trench 6, was 74m long. All trenches were 2m wide.
The stratigraphy within each trench was as follows: Trenches 1–3, 5–7: The sod and topsoil directly overlay a natural orange/light brown boulder clay and gravel.
Trench 4: At the northern end, the soil and topsoil (0.34m thick) directly overlay a natural orange and mottled grey boulder clay. A modern plastic water-pipe ran east-west across the northern end of the trench. Further south of the pipe, a layer of stone (0.8m thick) directly overlay a natural grey daub. At the southern end of the trench, underlying the sod and topsoil (0.5m thick), was a layer of large boulders (1m thick) which lay directly on a natural grey daub. Water was evident at this level and the boulders may represent a recent attempt at filling up this marshy area.
No archaeological features or small finds were recovered from any of the test-trenches.
Rathbawn Rd, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
