1999:763 - BALLYPHEASAN, Roscommon

This development, for the construction of dwelling-houses and apartments, along with all roads and ancillary services, was in the townland of Ballypheasan, immediately east of Roscommon town. It encompassed 8.65 acres of undulating grassland. A field drain bordered the site to the east, with the land becoming marshy and waterlogged beyond the drain. Two parallel drainage channels run north-south through the field for a distance of 200m. The ground in the field is uneven, although, as suggested in the archaeological assessment (undertaken by Anne Connolly in July 1998), this may be the result of drainage in the area.

The development was c. 120m south of Roscommon Friary (SMR 39:55), founded for the Dominicans by Felim O'Connor in 1253 and consecrated in 1257. Originally the church would have consisted of one long aisle. Through the ages the building had many alterations and renovations, including the addition of the north transept in the 15th century. The remains of 15th-century tracery windows also survive in the east and west of the building and replaced the original lancet windows. One of the most interesting features in the building is the effigy of Felim O'Connor in a niche in the north wall. Carved between 1290 and 1300, it has been placed on a 15th-century tomb with eight warriors.

The initial assessment did not reveal any definite features of an archaeological nature within the site, but it did indicate an irregularity in the ground surface close to the north and west boundaries of the site. As a result it was recommended that pre-development test-trenching be carried out in that part of the site.

This was undertaken by Martin Fitzpatrick on 26 September 1998 (Excavations 1998, 178). Two trenches were mechanically excavated in the north-west corner of the site. Both were orientated east-west and measured 30m by 2m, and they were excavated 10m apart. They failed to reveal features or artefacts of archaeological significance. They both truncated the west drainage channel indicated in the preliminary archaeological assessment. The results of the test-trenching suggested that the land rises naturally from west to east, with the greatest depth of topsoil found at the west of the trenches.

While no features of archaeological significance were revealed in the excavation of the trial-trenches, the proximity of the development to the Dominican friary indicated the potential of archaeological deposits/features existing in the area. Therefore, monitoring of ground disturbance was recommended by Dúchas The Heritage Service.

Monitoring, carried out on 1 March 1999, was undertaken on twelve trenches excavated along the line of the land-take. It failed to reveal the presence of either archaeological features or portable antiquities on the site, with the only subsurface remains revealed being previously recorded drainage channels in the north-west corner of the site. All other excavation revealed topsoil directly sealing natural clays.

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