County: Galway Site name: BARNADERG NORTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 44:17 Licence number: 00E0485
Author: Dominic Delany
Site type: Ringfort - cashel
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 550872m, N 748448m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.483762, -8.740184
Test excavation was carried out at the site of a proposed dwelling on 28 July 2000. The proposed development is situated on the site of a monument indicated as a circular enclosure (diameter c. 40m) on the 1932 OS map. The monument is also clearly visible on aerial photographs taken in July 1970 (CUCAP K17 W 57–9). There are now no visible surface traces of this monument, as the hillock upon which it stood was levelled when the adjoining site was developed in 1978.
Three test-trenches, c. 75m long, were excavated at the site. The excavation proved quite difficult as the ground was extremely loose and stony at the north-east and very compacted with frequent outcrops of bedrock at the south-west. This is consistent with material having been pushed downslope from the summit of the hillock, which was situated towards the south-west end of the site.
No definite archaeological material was identified, but two possible archaeological features were discovered in Trench 2, and a third in Trench 3. A subrectangular feature (1.95m x 1.45m) was encountered at 6.5m from the roadside boundary wall at the north-east end of Trench 2. It was defined by a deposit of light brown, silty sand containing frequent small and medium stones and occasional animal bone fragments. A similar feature (2m x 0.75m) was discovered at 5m from the roadside boundary wall in Trench 3. The features appear to be aligned north-west/south-east, and it is possible, although unlikely, that they represent the north-west and south-east terminals of a linear feature. It is also possible that they represent nothing more than isolated animal burial sites. A linear/curvilinear feature, 1.25m wide, orientated north-west/south-east, was discovered close to the mid-point of Trench 2. It was defined by a deposit of dark brown/black, silty sand containing frequent small and medium stones, and occasional animal bone fragments and charcoal flecks. This feature appears to be quite isolated as it was not found in Trenches 1 and 3, which were located c. 7m to the south-east and north-west respectively.
The origin of the features discovered was not clearly established. There was nothing to indicate that they were associated with the destroyed monument, but they must be considered as possible archaeological features. Further monitoring was recommended.
31 Ashbrook, Oranmore, Co. Galway
