2005:550 - VARIOUS WITHIN COUNTY, Galway

Monitoring was undertaken along two stretches of the natural gas transmission pipeline from Bellanaboy Bridge, Co. Mayo, to Claregalway, Co. Galway, during May and June 2005. The route of the pipeline extended from the Bellanaboy Bridge terminal in north Co. Mayo in a south-easterly direction into east Co. Galway and connected with the reception terminal to the Pipeline to the West at an aboveground installation near Craughwell. The route passes through drumlin-type terrain in Co. Galway. The construction of the pipeline involved topsoil removal over a distance of 150km and within a working strip of 30m.
The first stretch of the route extended from Road Crossing 131 in Ballymoneen townland near Claregalway in a north-westerly direction to Road Crossing 112 in Beagh Beg townland, also in Co. Galway.
Nine sites were identified, of which eight were excavated by members of the Archaeological Services Unit. The other site, an extensive concentration of pits and post-holes in Caltragh townland, Co. Galway, was initially exposed and defined by the ASU but was excavated later in June 2005 by Deirdre Murphy of ACS Ltd (see No. 567 below). Of the eight sites investigated by the ASU, six consisted of localised areas of in situ burning and small isolated pits containing moderate amounts of charcoal. In Co. Galway, areas of in situ burning, isolated pits and a possible post-hole were identified in Knockadoe More, Killgill, Ardgaineen and Bunoghanuan townlands. These isolated features were considered to be of potential archaeological significance by their regular shape combined with evidence for in situ burning in one location (Knockadoe More townland). All were excavated and recorded, although their precise function has to remain unclear in the absence of datable finds.
Despite the absence of finds, it seems likely that the concentration of pits and post-holes at two separate locations (Sites 2 and 8) in Monroe and Cave townlands in Co. Galway are of archaeological significance, possibly late prehistoric or early medieval in date. The remains of possible post-built structures with associated pits, hearths and linear trenches were found at these sites. The precise nature and date of the activity remains unclear, but it is anticipated that the radiocarbon samples submitted for dating will clarify the chronology.
See entry No. 1078 below for discussion of the sites in Co. Mayo.