2005:1099 - BRIDGE STREET, BALLINROBE, Mayo

Pre-development testing was carried out on 16 May 2005 at a site in advance of its development at The Hilltop Bar, Bridge Street, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. The proposed development was located within the constraint area for Ballinrobe. The development consisted of the demolition of a toilet block and the construction of an extension to the existing bar facilities, new toilets, office space, kitchen space, keg room and covered storage yard area with three apartments at first-floor level.
Four trenches were excavated, which measured 10.1m, 2.45m, 4.5m and 5.1m long, 0.9–1.3m wide and 0.95–1.8m deep. Below the concrete and hardcore was loose rubble fill (which consisted of soil, rocks, concrete, red bricks, bits of timber and contained modern artefacts such as plastic and modern glass bottles), a layer of stone flags (partially within the fill) and three courses of a mortared rubble wall. Below the rubble fill and the flagstones was sterile grey/orange/brown friable silt loam and redeposited mottled firm clay. Below the silt loam was sterile grey friable sandy silt loam. Below the redeposited layer and the rubble wall was sterile grey/brown plastic clay. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered.
The site, according its owner, was an open yard which had a stone flag surface until less than twenty years ago, when it was filled and covered with hardcore and concrete. The wall was part of an outhouse/shed recently demolished at the site.