County: Galway Site name: PARKALOUGHAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0001
Author: Richard Crumlish, Archaeological Services Unit Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 547299m, N 715885m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.190803, -8.788601
Pre-development testing was carried out on 13 January 1999 in response to a request for further information on two sites before their development at Parkaloughan, Ardrahan, Co. Galway. The sites were on a low ridge that is orientated roughly east-west, in fair grazing, c. 3 miles north-east of Ardrahan village. Lavally Conor Castle (SMR 104:166), a tower-house, was visible a short distance to the north-east, while an enclosure and children's burial-ground (SMR 104:217) lay along the southern boundary of the site to the east.
Six trenches were excavated by machine during the testing, three on each site, to best cover those areas of the proposed development closest to the enclosure and children's burial-ground.
The stratigraphy in all six trenches was the same, topsoil, 0.1–0.4m thick, lying directly above natural boulder clay. No artefacts were recovered during testing, the six test-trenches revealing natural, undisturbed stratigraphy. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence.
Purcell House, Oranmore, Co. Galway
