2005:1101 - CHURCH LANE, BALLINROBE, Mayo

Pre-development testing was carried out on 20 and 21 July 2005 at a site in advance of its development at Church Lane, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. The proposed development, which consisted of the demolition of existing structures and construction of a three-storey and penthouse block, accommodating eighteen apartments and four retail units, auxiliary car parking and associated external works, was located within the archaeological constraint for Ballinrobe town. A building survey had been compiled on the standing buildings on the site; no medieval fabric was in evidence. The demolition of the existing structures was monitored and two cut-stone arches and a number of cut and dressed limestone blocks were removed for safe storage, to be reused in the proposed development.
Four trenches were excavated to best cover the proposed development. These measured 24.6m, 18.9m, 16.5m and 17m long, 0.9–1.6m wide and 0.45–1.4m deep. The stratigraphy uncovered was evidence of modern activity on the site, associated with the buildings (of 19th- and 20th-century date) recently demolished; i.e. rubble wall foundations, a concrete floor, a layer of cobbles and rubble fill. To the rear of the buildings was a recent hardcore yard over the original back garden (i.e. topsoil). A backfilled trench, which was visible in two of the trenches and contained animal bone fragments and a clay-pipe stem, appeared also to be a modern feature. All of the above were located above sterile natural subsoil.
Only modern artefacts were recovered during the testing. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence.