County: Galway Site name: CAHERWALTER, Loughrea
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1160 ext.
Author: Richard Crumlish
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 562761m, N 717053m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.202604, -8.557385
Monitoring of topsoil-stripping associated with a housing development in Caherwalter townland, on the north-eastern outskirts of Loughrea, Co. Galway, was carried out on 20 June 2003. The initial phase of the development concerned seventeen houses and monitoring of topsoil-stripping was carried out in July 2002 (Excavations 2002, No. 717). The second phase concerned 26 houses and monitoring was carried out in October 2002. This third and final phase concerned the remaining 34 houses.
The topsoil was stripped using two mechanical diggers. The stripped area was located along the eastern boundary of the site and measured 180m north–south by 16.5–22.5m. The back gardens of the proposed dwellings (located along the eastern site boundary), which measured 4.5–12m wide, were not stripped, neither was a proposed green area between Phase 2 and Phase 3.
Below the topsoil was located peat, grey/brown friable clay loam, grey and rust-coloured friable sandy clay loam, grey plastic clay, grey friable sandy silt loam and orange/brown/grey friable silt loam. Below the peat, where it was removed, was a white plastic silty clay. A small number of modern pottery sherds were recovered from the topsoil.
The stripping of topsoil revealed natural undisturbed stratigraphy. The peat and subsoils found below the topsoil were natural deposits, as was the clay deposit found below the peat.
61 An Cladrach, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
