County: Donegal Site name: ROUGH POINT, Killybegs
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0751
Author: Catherine McLoughlin, ADS Ltd.
Site type: House - 16th/17th century and Building
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 571357m, N 875796m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.629576, -8.443580
A test excavation was undertaken in October and November 2000 at Rough Point, Killybegs, in order to ascertain the nature of several upstanding structures, in advance of development.
Nine test-trenches were excavated across the area under investigation. Two of these were excavated inside two upstanding structures, which proved to be the remains of post-medieval vernacular cottages with drystone walls, clay floors and areas of cobbling at both gable ends. Structure 1 contains an internal division and fine chimney embrasure, while Structure 2 appears to consist of a single room. Both structures measure c. 15m by c. 5m. A further test-trench revealed the existence of one of the gable ends of Structure 4, complete with fireplace. Unlike the other two, this structure has no visible remains.
A larger structure was uncovered at the northern end of Rough Point. Four trenches were excavated across the area between two upstanding walls, and these revealed the existence of a drystone building, which measures c. 18m north–south by c. 12m, with several internal walls. One of the walls appears to have been built upon a dump of material that contained a good sample of 17th-century pottery.
The results of the test excavation indicate a 17th-century date for the construction and occupation of the structures on Rough Point, and this ties in well with the cartographic evidence.
Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3
