County: Mayo Site name: KNOCKADOON
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 112:60 Licence number: 01E0961
Author: Bernard Guinan
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 542285m, N 769015m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.667701, -8.873347
Testing in advance of pipe-routeing and reservoir construction within the protected area of an enclosure took place in October 2001. This work was part of the Lough Mask Regional Water Supply Scheme Stage III (see No. 918, Excavations 2001, 01E0314). The large enclosure is c. 75m in diameter and is c. 50m from the existing reservoir. The area tested consisted of both the reservoir construction site, c. 35m by 50m, and the associated pipeline way-leave, c. 100m by 20m.
The area was tested mechanically and stripped stratigraphically of sod and topsoil to reveal subsoil above a natural gravel. The mid-brown topsoil varied in depth from 0.2m to 0.6m. The sterile subsoil, a very light brown/yellow compacted clay, was c. 0.5m deep. Occasional traces of cultivation furrows were detected running east–west across the centre of the test area. Testing showed that most of the area was also heavily disturbed by a network of water pipes. Apart from some modern field detritus (ceramic fragments and glass), the area tested was archaeologically sterile, with no finds, deposits or features of archaeological significance uncovered.
Coosan, Athlone, Co. Westmeath
