County: Mayo Site name: CASTLEBAR TO DERRYNADIVVA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0708
Author: Richard Crumlish
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 511993m, N 796015m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.906039, -9.339327
Monitoring was carried out between 23 May and 10 September 2003 of groundworks during the installation of three 38kV ESB lines, from the existing 110kV station at Aghalusky townland, 1.5km north-east of Castlebar, to a wind farm in Derrynadivva townland, Westport 38kV station and Turlough Road 38kV station. Most of the first two lines were overhead; however, their first section, along with the entire third line between Aghalusky 110kV station and Turlough Road 110kV station, was underground. The route of the underground lines was mostly located along roads. The overhead section was located mainly in upland blanket bog.
Along the underground section, the trench measured 3.2km long, 0.6–4m wide and 0.9-3.6m deep; 743m of this length was not located within roads. Below the road/road fill and topsoil was orange/brown friable silt loam, orange/grey/brown plastic clay, orange/grey/brown firm clay, orange/brown sandy silt loam, orange/brown loose loamy sand, peat and bedrock.
The groundworks involved in the construction of twelve pole sets, part of the overhead section, were monitored. The pits for the poles measured 1.6–4.2m long, 0.5–1.5m wide and 0.5–3m deep. The pits for the stays measured 3–4.1m long, 0.5–1.6m wide and 1.1–2.0m in deep. Below the topsoil and peat was grey plastic sandy clay, grey/orange/brown plastic clay, orange/grey loose loamy sand, mottled firm clay loam, blue/grey firm sandy loam and bedrock. No artefacts were recovered during this monitoring.
The area excavated during the groundworks revealed natural undisturbed stratigraphy in the greenfield areas and road and road fill above natural undisturbed stratigraphy within the roads.
61 An Cladrach, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
