2004:1140 - CARROWBEG EAST, Mayo

Pre-development testing was carried out on 30 August and 10 September 2004 at a site in advance of its development at Carrowbeg East, Claremorris, Co. Mayo. The proposed development was within the archaeological constraint for an enclosure (SMR 101:64) and was indeed the location of the southern half of the enclosure. There were no extant features within the proposed development site.

The testing comprised the excavation (by machine) of four trenches, which measured 25.3m, 16.7m, 16.8m and 6.25m long respectively and were 0.95–1.2m wide and 0.2–0.6m deep. The stratigraphy in all four trenches was topsoil above grey/orange/brown firm clay loam, grey loose loamy sand and grey/brown friable silt loam. In Trench C, along a 3.5–4m section below the topsoil, was redeposited topsoil and subsoil, which filled a possible cut/ditch located 3.5–3.6m from the southern end of the trench. The feature was oriented north-east/south-west, measured 1–1.5m wide and was not fully excavated. The southern side of the feature was clearly defined, whereas the northern side was difficult to determine. The fill contained a moderate amount of rocks, occasional charcoal flecks, a fragment of rusted horseshoe and several sherds of modern (20th-century) pottery and modern (20th-century) glass fragments. Modern artefacts were recovered from the topsoil.

Trenches A, B and D revealed nothing of archaeological significance. According to the landowner, this site was levelled by a bulldozer in the 1970s. This explained the shallow nature of the topsoil all over the site. It could also explain the redeposited topsoil and subsoil containing modern artefacts in the possible cut/ditch in Trench C. The feature was located in the same general area as the enclosing element of the enclosure, as marked on the RMP sheet and OS map.

61 An Cladrach, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo