County: Sligo Site name: DRUMCLIFFE SOUTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: RMP 8:84 Licence number: 01E0154
Author: Richard Crumlish, Archaeological Services Unit Ltd.
Site type: Ecclesiastical enclosure
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 567741m, N 842057m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.326212, -8.495910
Pre-development testing on the site of a proposed development was carried out between 28 February and 28 June 2001 (delay due to Foot and Mouth precautions) at Drumcliffe South, Co. Sligo. The proposed development is within the constraint area of the ecclesiastical site at Drumcliff, specifically adjacent to the round tower. The proposed development consisted of the fencing off of an area around the tower, the laying of a path between the tower and the nearest footpath, and the construction of a stile across a wall between the existing footpath and the new path.
The proposed development site was in a field of relatively flat pasture. Across the road to the east are two high crosses and Drumcliff church and graveyard.
One trial-trench was excavated along the route of the proposed new path. The trench was 13.8m north-west/south-east, 1m wide and 0.45–0.95m deep. It was positioned at either side of a low wall which surrounds the round tower.
The stratigraphy consisted of topsoil above a brown/grey friable sandy loam, natural subsoil, a grey/brown plastic sandy silt loam, two fills and two cuts of unknown date and function. The topsoil and brown/grey friable sandy loam yielded modern artefacts, while the fills contained organic material. The cuts were located at the north-west end of the trench, nearest the round tower.
The excavations necessary for the proposed development will not be deep enough to damage potential archaeological deposits/features but will be contained within the upper two contexts (topsoil and friable sandy loam), which are modern disturbed deposits. The proposed works will be monitored.
Purcell House, Claregalway Road, Oranmore, Co. Galway
