2001:1263 - BALLYMORE, Westmeath

The developer was required to carry out testing before construction of a two-storey dwelling-house. Ballymore village was the caput of Hugh de Lacy’s manor in Westmeath. There are three recorded monuments in the vicinity of the development site: SMR 24:34, the remains of Plary convent c. 200m south of the site; SMR 24:34, St Owen’s Graveyard, north of the site; and SMR 24:32 (unknown type), 250m west of the site.

Three test-trenches were excavated. Two tested the side walls of the proposed house. Nothing of archaeological interest was exposed in the trench on the north side of the house. Three features, cut into subsoil, were exposed on the south side of the house, two of them producing medieval pottery. A third trench was excavated to test an alternative location for the house. This also exposed features cut into subsoil, one of them a 2.7m-wide possible ditch. Medieval pottery was also found in this trench.

The loose dark grey fill was similar in each of the features; it resembled the topsoil to some degree in colour and texture. Each of the investigated features contained some fragments of animal bone.

Following the discovery of archaeological features a concrete raft foundation for the house was designed. It was agreed with Dúchas that the groundwork associated with the assembly and installation of the raft would be monitored. The preparation and installation of the raft foundation caused minimal disturbance to the underlying garden soil layer. No damage was caused to the underlying archaeological material as there was sufficient clearance between the bottom of the raft and the top of the archaeological strata (0.5m under present ground level). Monitoring also covered excavation for a service trench that would accommodate both sewerage and water pipes.

Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath