County: Galway Site name: LAURENCETOWN AND BALLYMORE LOWER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 100:17 Licence number: 01E0780
Author: Anne Carey, Archaeological Services Unit Ltd.
Site type: Graveyard
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 588144m, N 720692m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.236488, -8.177591
Three trial-trenches were mechanically excavated within the area of the proposed development, two of them to natural. In Trench 1, which was 1m south-east of the Lisheen cemetery, two highly disturbed and poorly preserved skeletons were revealed at a depth of 0.32–0.35m below ground level. Skeleton 1, located adjacent to the north-west of the trench, was orientated east–west and comprised a fragmented skull, a fragmented pelvis and a femur. Skeleton 2, at the south-west of the trench, was similarly poorly preserved. It measured 1.4m in length and had a fragile ribcage and a right femur and tibia. There were no other finds and the skeletons were not disturbed.
In Trench 2 occasional finds of human bone were recovered from the topsoil, but no articulated skeletal remains were found. Trench 2 was excavated to natural at a maximum depth of 0.4m. Trench 3 was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.5m with no finds.
As the depth of excavation and the visual impact of the proposed works at the site will be minimal, no disturbance to archaeological remains is foreseen. However, owing to the skeletal remains revealed immediately to the east of the Lisheen cemetery, monitoring of all site works near this monument was recommended.
Purcell House, Oranmore, Co. Galway
