County: Sligo Site name: GORTALOUGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 40:189, 40:190 Licence number: 97E0339
Author: Martin A. Timoney
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 578094m, N 808608m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.026213, -8.334327
The site for a proposed Field Study Centre is in the townland of Gortalough, Ballinafad, Co. Sligo, on the northern slopes of the Curlew Mountains, looking northwards at the southern end of the Bricklieves.
The western half of the proposed development is within the constraint area of the Red Earl’s Road and Ballinafad Castle.
The Red Earl’s Road, probably of medieval origin, links Ballymote, Co. Sligo, to Boyle, Co. Roscommon, by a route around the north and east side of the Bricklieve Mountains. Two dates, 1590 and 1610, are generally given for the small military castle of Ballinafad. The Down Survey records the castle and six houses, the early village of Ballinafad, further north than the development site.
The work took place in October 1997. The total site area was about 100m by 60m. Eight trenches were opened, giving about 330m2 of ground. The southern half of the site was very disturbed by at least six drains, ditches, dumps of stone, masonry, modern rubbish and tree trunks. The northern half of the site gave evidence of deep ploughing and one stone-filled drain.
There were very many finds, mainly of 19th- and 20th-century date. The pottery could be early 18th- century but it is also possible that some sherds could date from as late as the 20th (Rosanne Meenan, pers. comm.). A flint flake was found in a ploughsoil with modern material. The end of a flint ?blade came from the make-up of the late 19th-century wall.
No archaeological features were found, but it was recommended that archaeological supervision during the removal of topsoil during development will take place.
Bóthar An Corran, Keash, Co. Sligo
