County: Galway Site name: COOLOLLA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A024/4.6
Author: Julianna O’Donoghue, Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 579088m, N 728696m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.308134, -8.313771
The assessment, including test excavation, was carried out before the construction of the proposed N6 Galway–Ballinasloe road scheme. The proposed scheme will be a dual carriageway, 56km in length, extending from the east side of Galway city, at Doughiska, to the east side of Ballinasloe, at Beagh Brabazon, in Co. Roscommon. The assessment was undertaken for Galway County Council and the National Roads Authority and forms part of a wider assessment of c. 15km of the proposed N6 dual carriageway (Contract 4).
The site is located less than 0.5km north-east of Aughrim and 5km west of Ballinasloe. This area lies within the northern part of the battlefield of the Battle of Aughrim, which took place in 1691.
The aim of testing was to locate the anomalies identified in the geophysical survey (ArchaeoPhysica 2004) and to establish their nature, extent and significance. In the survey, the anomalies were interpreted as possible drainage ditches; most of these were orientated from east-north-east to west-south-west, with one orientated from south-south-east to north-north-west. Twelve trenches were excavated.
Furrows running east-north-east/west-south-west were exposed in almost all the trenches; these are likely to be the possible ‘drainage ditches’ identified in the geophysical survey. In the western third of the field a shallow ditch running north–south was uncovered in the centre-line trench and in Trench 8. Also in Trench 8, an east–west-running ditch and bank was revealed; the ditch was 1.3m wide by 0.3m deep. This feature does not appear in offsets to the east or west. The homogenous, loose topsoil fill of both of these features indicates that they are modern. No artefacts were uncovered.
Most of the features identified in the geophysical survey of Field 68 were recorded during centre-line testing. These were tested and found to be of no archaeological value. The shallow ditch in the western side of the field and the east–west bank and ditch are agricultural in origin and modern and are not of archaeological significance.
Reference
ArchaeoPhysica 2004 N6 Galway to East Ballinasloe geophysical survey report. Unpublished report lodged with the DoEHLG.
Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork
