2006:744 - Cross Street, Athenry, Galway

Two phases of pre-development testing were carried out on a proposed mixed-use development site at Cross Street, Athenry, Co. Galway, in January and November 2006. The site is located in the heart of the medieval town and consisted of an open courtyard area surrounded by dilapidated galvanised sheds with lofts above, and a dwelling house with a long garden plot to the rear.
The first phase of testing comprised the excavation of three trenches, 25–30m in length, in the courtyard area. A layer of modern overburden, 0.3m in thickness, covered the site. This generally overlay an old garden soil deposit, which varied between 0.3 and 0.5m in thickness and overlay orange/brown clay subsoil and grey coarse sand and gravel. Traces of a cobbled surface were exposed just below the existing yard surface. Several pits and linear features were also uncovered, but these were deemed to be relatively modern and of no archaeological significance. A second phase of testing was carried out in November 2006. This phase was concerned with the long garden plot to the rear of the dwelling and the footprint of the (now demolished) outbuildings. The stratigraphic sequence was similar to that recorded during the initial phase of testing. No archaeological material was uncovered.