2000:0375 - CARNMORE WEST, Galway

A programme of pre-development test excavation was conducted at two locations within the Tuam Regional Water Supply Scheme, Stage 3: the site of a proposed reservoir and over part of a wayleave that runs in proximity to a cashel, SMR 83:12. The excavations followed from recommendations made to Galway County Council by ASU Ltd.

Within the reservoir site four sites of archaeological potential were investigated following clearance of heavy vegetation cover. The sites had been interpreted as a stone bank, a possible clearance cairn and two possible stone hut sites. The reservoir site measured c. 138m north–south x 76m. The potential sites were within the north-west corner of the development area. The excavation revealed the sites to be stone stockpiles resulting from quarrying of the limestone outcrop on or near which they were located. A deposit of lime was found under one of the sites (the proposed clearance cairn), indicating that the production of lime took place nearby, although a limekiln was not identified. It was recommended that the construction of the reservoir be archaeologically monitored in the event of evidence being uncovered that may date the use of the quarry. The use of lime as a fertilizer was relatively widespread in the 18th and 19th centuries. Medieval examples of limekilns are less well known, but there are limekilns from medieval urban contexts in Dublin and Drogheda.

Four test-trenches were excavated over part of the wayleave, which passes 56m to the north of the cashel. Originally the line of the wayleave passed within 30m of the monument, and testing had been recommended. The excavation did not uncover deposits or finds of archaeological significance. A simple stratigraphic sequence of topsoil overlying natural was identified. Topsoil finds included sherds of crockery, clay pipe fragments and glass. A large clearance cairn close to part of the wayleave indicated that intensive modern agricultural reclamation had taken place in at least one of the fields in which test-trenches had been placed. While the test excavations did not uncover archaeologically significant material, it was recommended that topsoil-stripping in the area be subject to archaeological monitoring within the overall monitoring programme for the scheme.

375A. CARNMORE WEST
Nóra Bermingham, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, 15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
Excavation - miscellaneous
229850 138460 and 229859 139105
00E0478

This licence was first issued to Nóra Bermingham on 13 July 2000 and was transferred to Deirdre Murphy on 23 August 2000.

Monitoring was conducted during topsoil-stripping as part of the Tuam Regional Water Supply Scheme, Stage 3, in the areas of the proposed reservoir, the proposed pipeline to Claregalway and Oranmore, and the proposed scour/overflow main. The monitoring revealed that the topsoil extended to a depth of c. 0.3m and directly overlay the natural limestone bedrock. A number of 19th–20th-century finds were recovered from the topsoil, and no archaeological deposits or features were exposed. No further work is required.

Monitoring was also conducted during the excavation of three engineering test-pits in Claregalway village. Trench 1 was excavated in proximity to Claregalway Castle and revealed a thick layer of post-medieval mortar and stone below the tarmac roadway. Two 19th-century stone walls belonging to an earlier stone bridge were also exposed. Trenches 2 and 3 revealed the boulder clay at a depth of 0.4m below the tarmac roadway. No finds were recovered, and no archaeological deposits or features were exposed. Further archaeological monitoring will be conducted during the construction of the pipeline through Claregalway village.

15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth