County: Mayo Site name: AGHAMORE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 81:21(01–06) Licence number: 05E1333
Author: Bernard Guinan, Coosan, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 545721m, N 786779m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.827687, -8.824472
Testing was carried out in December 2005 in advance of an extension to Aghamore graveyard, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, as the graveyard has almost reached capacity. Parts of the lands acquired for the extension lie within the constraint zone of ecclesiastical remains (church, graveyard, enclosure, cross, earthwork and souterrain).
Six machine-cut trenches were excavated across the development site. The trenches were stripped from sod through to a sterile natural horizon. All six were 1.5m wide and orientated north-west/south-east. Trench I was 30m long, Trench II was 40m long, while Trenches III–VI were 60m long. Over most of the test area a mid-brown topsoil rested directly on a grey boulder clay, containing frequent limestone rocks. Across the centre of the test-trenches, topsoil overlay a light-brown sandy natural horizon, corresponding to a natural depression. No archaeological finds or features were uncovered during the course of testing.
