County: Galway Site name: CLOONASCRAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 06E1134
Author: Richard Crumlish
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 587051m, N 726205m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.286006, -8.194184
Pre-development testing was carried out on 4 and 5 December 2006 at a site at Cloonascragh townland, Co. Galway. The proposed development, a sand and gravel quarry, was located adjacent to the archaeological constraint for the Grand Canal (GA088–010). It was situated in a large field of relatively flat pasture either side of a gravel ridge (probably an esker) which ran east–west across the field and rose to over 10m in height.
The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of four trenches, located to best cover the gravel ridge and avoiding those areas of the ridge which had been quarried in the past. The trenches measured 50m, 91.3m, 102.1m and 37m long respectively, 0.85–1.2m wide and 0.15–0.7m deep. Below the topsoil was loose orange/brown/grey sand and gravel, orange/grey/brown friable silt loam and orange/grey/cream friable sandy loam. The topsoil contained one uninscribed clay-pipe stem.
The excavation of four trial holes for hydrological monitoring purposes was monitored. These were located on the low-lying relatively flat ground either side of the ridge and measured 3.5–3.6m by 1m by 3.1–3.6m deep. Below the topsoil was loose grey sand and gravel and orange and dark-brown silty clay.
The testing and monitoring revealed natural stratigraphy consisting of topsoil above natural subsoils, sand and gravels. Nothing of archaeological significance was revealed.
4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
