2001:488 - CREAGH JUNCTION, Ballinasloe, Galway

Testing of and a photographic and descriptive survey of the boundary wall at the site of proposed road improvements at Creagh Junction, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, were carried out between 26 November and 7 December 2001.

The work was undertaken prior to further construction works with regard to a proposed road improvement scheme. The proposed development entails improvement of the junction between the R357 Ballinasloe–Athleague road and the N6 Galway to Dublin road. The site lies within the grounds of St Brigid’s Hospital, Ballinasloe, formerly the Ballinasloe and District Lunatic Asylum. During associated groundworks carried out by Galway County Council, human skeletal remains were unearthed in a lawn area at the south-eastern corner of the hospital grounds in early October 2001. All relevant authorities were notified and the work suspended pending an archaeological assessment. A report was prepared by Jim Higgins, Galway Heritage Officer, outlining the events to date and making recommendations regarding future archaeological determination, prior to any further works on the site.

The site runs along a north–south axis and encompasses an area of approximately between 80m and 150m north–south by 60m. An area of approximately 7000m2 had been acquired by Galway County Council prior to the works. This is now enclosed by security fencing.

Excavations began on 26 November 2001. Twelve test-trenches were excavated. The main trench, Test-trench 1, was aligned north–south with three smaller east–west ‘branches’. One of these smaller trenches (Test-trench 8) had two north–south ‘branches’. There were four further east–west test-trenches perpendicular to Test-trench 1, and two small north–south trenches were excavated at the location of the known burials. In the course of fieldwork two further trenches were hand-cleaned and examined. These trenches, numbered 13 and 14, had been excavated previously. At the south end of the trench excavated for the proposed road (Trench 15), an area measuring approximately 30m2 was hand-cleaned and examined. Some 12.29% of the surface area of the site was excavated (this figure includes those trenches excavated previously for the proposed road and for the proposed wall; 5% of the surface area was tested or hand-cleaned).

Topsoil and sod consistently overlay variations of the natural boulder clay. The dominant natural deposit was a light grey gravelly sandy silt. These natural deposits were observed at an average depth of 0.5m below modern ground level.

Substantial archaeological deposits in the form of primarily east–west-aligned burial-cuts were observed in the south-east of the site. Further archaeological investigation would be required to establish the extent and date of these burials. However, based on the evidence to date, it may be a multi-period burial site/graveyard, possibly associated with nearby Creagh church, and with later use associated with St Brigid’s Hospital, which is located to the south-west.

The burials present are confined to the south-eastern corner of the site, an area which measures 680m2. Within the test-trenches excavated in this area, a total of 77 grave-cuts and possible grave-cuts were observed. A further five possible inhumations were evident in the section faces of Trenches 13–15.

The features observed in the remaining sections appear to be modern, characterised by linear, machine-cut trenches and deposits of the modern rubble and building material.

200 Dún na Coiribe, Galway