County: Galway Site name: LOUGHBOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: GA087-177 Licence number: A024/4.8
Author: Finn Delaney, Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 581684m, N 728757m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.308778, -8.274816
The assessment of an enclosure 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 archaeological assessment of c. 15km of the proposed N6 dual carriageway (Contract 4). Previous test excavations on the site of the enclosure were undertaken by Martin Jones (Excavations 2003, No. 737, 03E1875).
The site is located 2.5km east of the village of Aughrim. The topsoil is dark-brown silty clay 0.25m deep and the subsoil is orangish-brown sandy clay with frequent decaying limestone. The stripped-open portion was divided into five areas. The area outside the enclosing bank Area 1, the area inside the enclosing ditch Area 2, the north-east ditch section Area 3, the northern ditch section Area 4 and the southern ditch section Area 5.
The outline of the enclosing ditch was clearly visible once the sod and topsoil were removed. The ditch was recognised as a 2–3m-wide band of brown silty clay which formed a subcircular enclosure measuring 40m north-west/south-east by 30m. The enclosing ditch was also recognised to the south of the southern field boundary at the foot of the extant earthen bank. The ditch, however, was not identified in the small south-western stripped section.
The enclosing ditch was identified in the open stripped area. The interior is covered in spreads of loose stone and, in one area to the north, natural subsoil was recorded just below the topsoil. No finds were recovered from the topsoil across the stripped area or during cleaning of the internal stone spreads. One fragment of animal bone and one corroded metal fragment were recovered from the upper fill in the excavated northern ditch section.
The three excavated ditch sections revealed the substantial nature of the enclosing ditch. It was V-shaped in section and measured 2–2.6m in width and 1–1.2m deep. The north-eastern portion of the ditch had been recut at some time and filled with brown silty clay and sub-angular stone.
Overall, land improvements seem to have seriously disturbed the site. No complex stratigraphy was noted during test excavations and no significant finds were made. The improvements may have destroyed any significant evidence for occupation of the site and no evidence survived which would have given an indication of the original nature (defensive or otherwise) of the enclosure. However, it is possible that occupation evidence survives below the stone spreads on the interior of the site.
Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork
