County: Roscommon Site name: ROSCOMMON: Chapel Lane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E1334
Author: Richard Crumlish
Site type: Town
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 587501m, N 764461m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.629812, -8.188964
Pre-development testing at the site of a proposed commercial development at Chapel Lane, Roscommon, was carried out on 21 August 2003. The proposed development was located within the zone of archaeological potential for Roscommon (SMR 39:43). While the area of the proposed development extended from Chapel Lane to Main Street, only the Chapel Lane section of the site was available for testing at the time, as the remainder was part of an existing retail outlet. The Chapel Lane site consisted of a two-storey stone building of 19th-century date.
Testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of two trenches, which measured 6.7m and 2.42m long, 0.8–1.1m wide and 0.5–1.2m deep. Below the concrete floor was a layer of cobbles, rubble, sterile grey/brown plastic clay with occasional rocks and light-brown loose sandy loam.
No artefacts were recovered. The grey/brown plastic clay and the light-brown loose sandy loam appeared to be sterile natural subsoil. The layer of cobbles was probably contemporary with the building (i.e. 19th century).
61 An Cladrach, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
