2006:741 - Athenry, Galway

Monitoring of broadband installation was undertaken over a period of three months from August 2006. The work involved the excavation of a trench 0.55–0.6m wide and 0.8m deep to facilitate the installation of broadband cables in the area of Athenry town. The trenches were excavated in the vicinity of the town wall, the Dominician abbey and the sites of the medieval gates of Swan/Loro Gate, Nicholas Gate, Brittin Gate and North Gate. Excavations through Old Church Street, McDonald’s Lane, Cross Street, Davis Street, Bridge Street and North Gate Street were also undertaken. Traces of 19th-century culverts were uncovered on North Gate Street and Cross Street. Manual excavations in the area of the town gates and walls revealed traces of the town wall 0.3m below the roadway in the vicinity of Loro Gate/Prospect. The wall was constructed of uncut limestone with traces of mortar throughout. The feature survived for two courses in height and measured 2.6m in width. No evidence for a moat was uncovered. The wall was covered over with a protective membrane and the broadband cables laid over the wall. Excavations throughout the remainder of the town revealed no features of archaeological significance. The stratigraphy indicated that the areas had previously been disturbed, with pipes, cables and services encountered throughout.
Martin Fitzpatrick, Arch Consultancy Ltd, Ballydavid South, Athenry, Co. Galway.