County: Sligo Site name: KNOCKMULDOWNEY, BALLYSADARE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 05E1353
Author: Rosanne Meenan, Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 566795m, N 829365m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.212116, -8.509037
There are many monuments close to the development site. The complex of sites at Kilboglashy (SMR 20:109) lies on the west side of Ballysadare River and the remains of an Augustinian abbey (SMR 20:108) lie to the west again. There are recorded bridge sites in the town (SMR 20:268; 20:249); there is also a record of a ford (SMR 20:244) across the channel of the Ballysadare River in the bay. A 17th-century mill (SMR 20:273) may have been on the same site as a currently disused 19th-century mill over the Ballysadare River.
The development comprises construction of two apartment blocks, one of which will incorporate a disused dwelling house and the other the site of a stone shed, currently disused.
The existing structures are immediately south of, and overlooking, a disused fish farm. This farm was built on a ‘platform’ of dumped building rubble that was laid down 20–30 years ago along the shoreline. The public road between Collooney and Sligo forms the southern boundary of the fish farm. The development is sandwiched between the fish farm and the public road.
Test-trenching along the proposed lines of the northern and western exterior walls of the apartment blocks and along the line of the proposed sewerage pipe produced evidence for dumping of modern building rubble and of clay and stone, possibly redeposited when the tanks for the fish farms were being installed. No archaeological material was exposed.
