County: Sligo Site name: CREGG
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 14:128 Licence number: 99E0436
Author: Eoin Halpin, ADS Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 566358m, N 839504m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.303187, -8.516872
The presence of a well-preserved rath so close to the development area made it very likely that something of significance would come to light during the testing. It appears that the line of a ditch, presumably associated with the enclosure, was uncovered, running around the north-east side. It is difficult to be precise, but it seems to be at least 1.6m deep and 8m wide, the lowest layers consisting of a dark grey, charcoal- and sea shell-flecked silt clay.
Nothing datable was recovered during the testing, but it seems likely that it is contemporaneous with the rath and therefore dates to the Early Christian period. The soils noted elsewhere on site are a product of relatively recent dumping from construction works on the adjacent hospital.
Subsequent alterations to the ground-plan of the proposed development meant that significant disturbance to the archaeological remains were avoided.
Unit 48, Westlink Enterprise Centre, 30–50 Distillery Street, Belfast BT12 5BJ
