2005:1312 - BALLINTOBER, Roscommon

The proposed development is situated in the townland of Ballintober, Co. Roscommon, and is located on the north-east side of the village fronting on to the Castlerea Road. The site is immediately opposite Ballintober Castle, across the road, 50m to the west. The proposed development is to consist of 21 houses, access and related services.
Mechanical archaeological testing was carried out in early June 2005. A total of eleven test-trenches (of the twelve proposed) were excavated by machine to the top of the archaeology, where present, and otherwise to the level of undisturbed natural. The trenches varied in length, with three of 30m, three of 40m, two of 60m, one of 80m, one of 100m and one of 140m. Proposed Trench 11 was omitted due to lack of time. In addition, Trenches 5 and 6 were excavated to a length of 60m rather than the proposed 80m, so as not to interfere unnecessarily with Feature 6, a linear ditch and bank identified in Trench 1 and visible on the surface. All trenches were 1.8m wide and were excavated to a maximum depth of 0.65m.
In total, 21 possible archaeological features were identified across the different trenches, the majority of which consisted of linear features, banks and ditches, in addition to a hearth, some pits and a possible stone wall foundation trench. It has not been possible to date any of the potential features definitively, as very little datable material was recovered during the course of the excavation. Some sherds of possible post-medieval pottery were recovered, but generally in unstratified contexts and in the presence of significant quantities of early modern crockery. Animal bone and charcoal were found in a number of features and generally throughout the topsoil. Given the proximity of the site to the castle, it is likely that a number of the features date to the late medieval/post-medieval period and represent primarily the remains of an earlier field system and possibly settlement-related activity.