County: Mayo Site name: Banagher
Sites and Monuments Record No.: MA015–006 Licence number: 06E0740
Author: Richard Crumlish, 4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 520022m, N 835867m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.265364, -9.227687
Pre-development testing was carried out on 29 July 2006 at a site at Banagher townland, Carrowmore-Lacken, Ballina, Co. Mayo. The proposed development site was located within the archaeological constraint for a ringfort which was located within the same field, adjacent to the southern site boundary at c. 30m from the proposed dwelling. The proposed development consisted of the construction of a dwelling house, septic tank and percolation area.
The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of four trenches. The trenches were located along the proposed driveway, along the western side of the proposed dwelling, from the proposed dwelling through the septic tank to the proposed percolation area and along that section of the southern site boundary closest to the monument. The trenches measured 26m, 22.7m, 67m and 30.7m long respectively, 0.9–1.2m wide and 0.4–0.8m deep.
Below the topsoil was orange/grey/brown friable silt loam. Below the friable silt loam was orange/grey/brown friable sandy silt loam with frequent stone and small rocks. A small number of modern pottery sherds, one modern glass fragment and one unworked flint were recovered from the topsoil. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered during testing. The stratigraphy in all four trenches consisted of topsoil over natural subsoils.
