County: Galway Site name: GALWAY: Barrack Lane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: RMP 94:100 Licence number: 01E1131
Author: Richard Crumlish, Archaeological Services Unit Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 530006m, N 725600m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.276103, -9.049463
Pre-development testing on the site of a proposed retail and commercial development was carried out between 20 and 29 November 2001, at the former Picture Framer premises, Barrack Lane, Galway. The development is within the zone of archaeological potential for Galway City.
The proposed development site consisted of a series of buildings of modern date which were intact at the time of testing. The site was located along the southern side of Barrack Lane within the original medieval city wall. A short distance to the east of the site was a 17th-century Cromwellian citadel, while to the east-south-east was an 18th-century military barracks.
Four trial-trenches were excavated. They were 3–10m long, 1–1.2m wide and 1.1–1.85m deep. The stratigraphy consisted of a concrete floor slab on the surface, below which were stone flag floors, rubble fill, four mortared rubble wall foundations, a dark brown organic fill, orange/brown natural subsoil and grey boulder clay. A cast-iron service pipe and modern artefacts were found in the rubble fill. The flag floors and two of the wall foundations were contemporary with the extant building. The organic fill was a mixed context, which probably originated from the construction of the docks in the 19th century. The two remaining wall foundations were located within the rubble fill and above the organic fill.
The testing revealed evidence of modern activity only.
Purcell House, Claregalway Road, Oranmore, Co. Galway
