County: Westmeath Site name: MULLINGAR: Blackhall Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 19:89 Licence number: 01E0172
Author: Dominic Delany
Site type: Burial ground
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 643626m, N 752942m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.524634, -7.342061
A second phase of testing was carried out on a proposed development site at Blackhall Street, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, from 10 to 14 September 2001. Human remains were discovered on this site during the course of the initial test excavation undertaken by Rosanne Meenan in July 2001 (see Excavations 2001, No. 1280). The development site is within the zone of archaeological potential established around Mullingar in the Urban Archaeology Survey of County Westmeath (OPW, 1986). A medieval Dominican priory stood immediately south of the site and is marked as ‘Abbey (site of)’ on Ordnance Survey maps. The second phase of testing was carried out in response to the recommendations of Dúchas, to establish the extent of the burials in order to determine the appropriate archaeological mitigation.
This phase of testing comprised the excavation of four trenches, varying from 5m to 20m in length. Exposed human bones were investigated to establish whether they were disarticulated or representative of in situ burials. Testing indicated that there are burials across the entire development site. Eleven burials, and two possible burials, were discovered during testing. The burial layer, a light brown/yellow sandy clay, was generally encountered 1.5–2m below the existing ground level but was just 0.65m below ground level in the north-western part of the site. This layer was not securely dated but it appears to contain both medieval and post-medieval finds. There were no finds directly associated with the burials but unstratified finds included several post-medieval potsherds, tile fragments and clay pipe bowls, and occasional medieval potsherds. The burial layer was often sealed by a post-medieval silt deposit which contained disarticulated human bones. Mottled yellow/grey sandy clay natural was exposed in areas where no burials were present.
The initial development proposal has been shelved and a piling layout scheme has been designed for the new development proposal. It is proposed to carry out further testing in 2002 in order to assess the impact of piling on the archaeology of the site.
31 Ashbrook, Oranmore, Co. Galway
