County: Galway Site name: Ballymabilla/Ballynaclogh/Brackloon/ Cappataggle/Caraun More/Cross/Galboley/ Gortnahoon/Killescragh/Newcastle/ Rahally/Rathglass/Slievedotia/Toormore/
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A024/3.0, E2551
Author: Richard Clutterbuck, CRDS Ltd, Unit 4, Dundrum Business Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14.
Site type: Various
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 561459m, N 724629m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.270596, -8.577786
Assessment on the proposed route of the N6 Galway to Ballinasloe road scheme (Contract 3) involved centreline and offset test excavation and targeted topsoil-stripping of select areas between the townlands of Galboley and Newcastle. Work was commissioned by Galway County Council and the National Roads Design Office and sponsored by the National Roads Authority. Ministerial Direction A024/3.0 is the primary reference number for the archaeological assessment. Where an area required a separate designation, sub-numbers (e.g. A024/3.1, A024/3.2) were assigned. These are listed below.
Assessment took place over a distance of c. 15km in which 96,000m2 of test-trenches were opened. All excavation was carried out using a tracked mechanical excavator fitted with a 2m-wide toothless bucket. The majority of sites identified represent new discoveries. In a number of cases, such as the burnt mounds in Caraun More (A024/3.3), the presence of a site had been suggested in geophysical survey.
The site types discovered included burnt mounds, ring-barrows and inhumations, a medieval enclosure with associated inhumations, Bronze Age cremations, clusters of burnt pits, post- and stake-holes, and a probable stone-lined enclosure and associated ditches. Sites of archaeological significance were recommended for excavation in Phase 2, whereas no further work was recommended at sites lacking in significance.
A024/3.1, Killescragh, 162027 224791. Excluded zone.
A024/3.2, Killescragh, 163172 225183. Excluded zone.
A024/3.3, Caraun More, 164175 225335. Burnt mounds I & II.
A024/3.4, Caraun More, 164239 225317. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.5, Cross, 164775 225445. Ring-barrow and inhumations.
A024/3.6, Cross, 165566 225693. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.7, Rahally, 165913 225806. Excluded zone.
A024/3.8, Rahally, 162027 224798. In vicinity of ringfort and field system (GA086–211 and GA086–213).
A024/3.9, Rahally, 166014 225866. In vicinity of ringfort and field system (GA086–211 and GA086–213).
A024/3.10, Rathglass, 166183 225898. Possible kiln and metalworking site.
A024/3.11, Rathglass, 167883 226098. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.12, Ballymabilla, 170517 225809. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.13, Toormore, 171310 225718. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.14, Ballynaclogh, 173625 226208. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.15, Ballynaclogh, 174118 226488. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.16, Newcastle, 175081 226787. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.17, Newcastle, 175337 226839. In vicinity of GA087–196.
A024/3.18, Newcastle, 175457 226850. Excluded zone.
A024/3.19, Newcastle, 174490 226639. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.20, Gortnahoon, 171950 225740. Burnt pits (possible industrial site).
A024/3.21, Toormore, 171612 225721. No archaeological significance.
A024/3.22, Treanbaun, 169133 226170. Early medieval enclosure and cemetery, Bronze Age cremations.
A024/3.23, Treanbaun, 168408 226183. Prehistoric pits, post- and stake-holes, burnt spreads.
A024/3.24, Caraun More, 164378 225345. Burnt mound.
A024/3.25, Rathglass, 167595 226081. Prehistoric pits and post- and stake-holes.
A024/3.26, Rathglass, 167795 226094. Prehistoric pits and post- and stake-holes.
A024/3.27, Caraun More, 163623 225274. Enclosure, ditches and stone-filled pits.
A024/3.28, Rahally, 166311 225961. In vicinity of ringfort and field system (GA086–211 and GA086–213).
A024/3.29, Killescragh, 163306 225224. Burnt mound.
A024/3.30, Killescragh, 162615 224917. Burnt mound.
