County: Galway Site name: RARUDDY WEST
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 105:178 Licence number: 02E0760
Author: Fiona Rooney, Arch. Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 559914m, N 718743m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.217589, -8.600201
Four trenches measuring 30m by 1m were mechanically excavated during pre-development testing at Raruddy West, Loughrea, Co. Galway. Trench 1 was c. 50m south-east of the castle, in the percolation area. It was oriented east–west and was excavated to a depth of 0.5m. Trench 2, to the south of Trench 1, was also oriented east–west and was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.4m. Trench 3, to the south of Trench 2, was excavated to a depth of 0.38m. Trench 4, to the south of Trench 3, was excavated to a depth of 0.35m.
In Trench 1 the removal of sod and topsoil revealed a natural, grey, sandy gravel with frequent large stone inclusions. A fragment of a clay-pipe stem was recovered from the topsoil. The stratigraphy in Trenches 2–4 was similar to that in Trench 1. Bedrock was revealed directly below the sod in the centre of Trench 2. The trenches excavated showed that the land rose naturally from south to north. Nothing of archaeological significance was recorded.
Editor's note: this report was formerly labelled "Castle - tower house".
Ballydavid South, Athenry, Co. Galway
