1998:025 - BALLYMALEY, Clare

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Clare Site name: BALLYMALEY

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0277

Author: Kenneth Hanley

Site type: No archaeology found

Period/Dating: N/A

ITM: E 534696m, N 680778m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.873936, -8.970049

The route of the drainage scheme runs from the townland of Ballymalley to the Corrovorrin housing estate, Ennis, Co. Clare. The project began in June 1998 and was initially monitored by Michael Tierney of Eachtra Archaeological Projects. In September 1998 the licence was transferred to this author. The remaining sections to be monitored included Work Area Nos 1 and 2 (on/near the Ennis–Gort road), the Ennis–Ruan road and the River Fergus.

Most of the work in Work Area No. 1 involved the insertion of pipes through part of the existing Ennis–Ruan road. Based on some early historical and mapping evidence this road would have been in use in the late medieval/post-medieval period; however, the monitoring evidence revealed nothing of archaeological significance. This also applied to the section of pipeline cut through the Ennis–Gort road. The small area stripped from 'Hogan's Field', Ballymalley, also failed to reveal anything of archaeological significance owing to the area having been lowered by the landowner in recent years.

The area flanking the bank of the River Fergus, in Work Area No. 2, did produce some depositional activity. However, this appeared to have been caused by soil creep or by landfill, introduced in recent years. Nothing of archaeological interest was revealed.

Only about half of the outfall area could be developed owing to severe flooding problems. Monitoring revealed c. 0.3–0.4m of black silt overlying the bedrock and boulder clay. This silt did not reveal any archaeological activity. However, being associated with the marshy banks of the River Fergus, it does still have archaeological potential. Above this silt deposit was c. 1–2m of recently introduced landfill. It is intended to complete this section of pipeline in the spring of 1999.

44 Eaton Heights, Cobh, Co. Cork