County: Sligo Site name: BALLYSUMAGHAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 27:163(01, 02), 27:29(02) Licence number: 04E0334
Author: Elizabeth Connolly, for Valerie J. Keeley and Co., Brehon House, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 574479m, N 825222m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.175328, -8.390885
Testing of the site of a proposed development was carried out on 23 February 2004. The proposed development is part of the Flagford-Srananagh 220/110kV project and involves the construction of an electrical substation in Ballysumaghan. The site of the substation is adjacent to a crannog, an unlocated crannog and an enclosure. In an assessment carried out by Ros î Maoldœin in December 2003, three areas of possible archaeological interest that would be impacted on by the development were identified: Possible Site (PS) 1, a potential enclosure; PS 2, a triangular area enclosed by a bank and ditch; and PS 3, a potential crannog. Topsoil-stripping at the construction stage is unlikely to be carried out in the vicinity of PS 3.
Five trenches were excavated by machine across the areas of PS 1 and PS 2 to natural undisturbed levels. PS 1 appears to be the natural edge of a geological feature, which has been quarried. In the area of the triangular enclosure, PS 2, testing revealed no information regarding the date of the bank or ditch. A small amount of charcoal flecking was recorded in the bank material, but no artefacts or features were recorded that could provide a date or a function for the feature.
