1998:250 - GALWAY: Lough Atalia Road/Forster Street, Galway

Test excavation was undertaken from 16 to 23 September 1998 in response to a condition of planning. The site comprises three large green-field areas and forms part of a glacial ridge that extended north-east/south-west along the Lough Atalia shoreline. The site covers an area of c. 1500m2 and represents one of the last remaining green-field sites in close proximity to the city centre. It lies c. 500m east of the medieval walled town and 350m north-east of Forthill Cemetery, the site of a strategically important early 17th-century star-shaped fort. The 1651 Pictorial Map of Galway depicts it as unenclosed pastureland, and there is no evidence to suggest that this area was settled in the medieval period. However, there is a tradition of 16th- and 17th-century military encampments along the high ground at Lough Atalia Road, and there have been stray finds of musket balls etc. in the area. Logan's Map of Galway (1818) names this area 'East Fort Hill', which appears to confirm the tradition of military activity in this area.

Ten test-trenches (average length 50m north-west/south-east) were excavated, and the stratigraphy was consistent across the site area. The topsoil comprised a grey/brown silt with moderate inclusions of pebbles, cobbles, bone, shell (mainly oyster) and flecks of charcoal, and occasional inclusions of boulders, burnt bone, slate and red brick fragments. The topsoil had an average thickness of 0.35m and frequently overlay the naturally occurring, light brown, sand and gravel glacial deposit. Occasionally the topsoil overlay a yellowish/brown, silty subsoil (0.2m thick), which in turn overlay the light brown sand and gravel. Almost all of the trenches yielded occasional sherds of late and post-medieval pottery types as well as numerous modern pottery sherds.

A linear cut, 0.7m wide and orientated east-west, was encountered in Trench 4. It contained a fill of mid-brown, clayey silt with moderate inclusions of angular cobbles, animal bone, shell and flecks of charcoal. A couple of late and post-medieval pottery sherds were recovered from this deposit. Two subrectangular features, measuring c. 2.7m x 1.7m, were encountered on the north-west brow of the glacial ridge in Trench 8. The features are cut into the natural, light brown sand and gravel and contain a fill of mid-brown silt with moderate inclusions of cobbles, pebbles, animal bone, shell and flecks of charcoal. Two sherds of late medieval pottery were recovered from the fill of one of these features. Considering the tradition of military activity in this area, it is possible that the subrectangular features represent small military entrenchments. It was recommended that all of these features be excavated in advance of the proposed development. Dúchas The Heritage Service had already indicated that all topsoil removal at construction phase should be archaeologically monitored.

31 Ashbrook, Oranmore, Co. Galway