2001:281 - GLEBE, Killybegs, Donegal

It was proposed to develop land to the immediate south of Killybegs town, in the area of Rough Point. The area surrounding St Catherine’s Church, St Catherine’s Well and Cat Castle represents a zone of archaeological potential as depicted on the Urban Archaeological Survey of County Donegal.

Nine trenches were excavated in the course of pre-development testing — seven mechanically and two (8 and 9) manually. The stratigraphy revealed in the trenches indicated no evidence of features/ deposits of archaeological significance. The layers present generally consisted of a topsoil overlying a natural marl or subsoil layer, with rock visible at a high level, particularly in the north of the development. The excavation of Trenches 8 and 9 indicate that the graveyard did not extend beyond the western wall limit.

In addition to the excavation of trenches, the area of the proposed development was thoroughly examined, with particular attention to the section faces of the existing drains. In the north-facing section of a drainage channel in the south of the development, numerous fragmented and brittle stones were revealed. Cleaning of the section face exposed the remains of a fulacht fiadh with a timber-based trough, 16m long and 0.52m in depth. The mound as exposed consisted of a charcoal-enriched, black sandy clay (C9), with frequent angular fragmented stones. A similar context of yellow/brown sandy clay with charcoal fragments and frequent small angular stones (C11) was found underlying C9. This context had a moderate ash content. A thin sterile lens of dark sticky clay lay between C9 and C11. Centrally placed in the exposed section was a rectangular trough feature, 1m wide and c. 0.25m deep. The base of the feature was lined with unworked lengths of wood and was filled with C11. The mound lay on a natural marl layer.

Ballydavid South, Athenry, Co. Galway