2006:1435 - Cloonmeen West, Mayo

This site was excavated between 8 and 22 May 2006. It was newly identified during centreline testing (A020/003) and was fully excavated in advance of the construction of the N5 Charlestown bypass. It was located at 88m OD.
This site consisted of a burnt mound, which overlay a large trough and a pit with associated smaller feature. The site was overlain by 0.15–0.2m of sod and topsoil, which was a gritty sand and silt. The mound rested on the natural boulder clay and the trough and adjacent features were cut into this boulder clay.
The mound was roughly oval in plan, measuring 12m by 10m, and had a maximum thickness of 0.25m. The mound was comprised of compacted heat-fractured sandstone and mudstone with inclusions of concentrated charcoal lenses.
The trough was located to the east of the centre of the mound. It was filled almost exclusively with clean burnt stone. The trough was rectangular in plan with rounded corners. It measured 2.8m by 1.5m and was cut directly into the natural boulder clay to a depth of 0.45m. It was orientated east–west. The trough was partially stone-lined with flat slabs set upright in the eastern and western sides protruding above the surface of the subsoil. There were four limestone slabs set in the west side and one in the eastern side. Their average dimensions are 0.4m by 0.45m by 0.08m thick. A large natural boulder was incorporated into the lining in the eastern side. Three random slabs located near the trough may have been disturbed lining stones from the north or south sides of the trough. The sides of the cut were steep and the base was level.
A smaller pit was identified 0.8m west of the trough. It was 0.65m by 0.55m by 0.3m deep. Five slabs were laid around the pit overlying the edges of it. They had average dimensions of 0.3m by 0.25m by 0.04m. These slabs were charcoal-stained and the centre of the pit had a concentration of charcoal 0.06m thick. The remainder of the fill consisted of heat-fractured stone. A possible post-hole was identified 0.2m west of the pit. It occurred under the slabs surrounding the pit. It measured 0.52m by 0.34m by 0.15m deep. It was filled with charcoal-stained clay with occasional burnt stones. Its shape in plan suggests that it may have held two posts.
In addition to the cut features, two small mounds of redeposited subsoil were identified adjacent to the trough and are likely to be upcast. The only small find from this excavation was the stem of a clay pipe from the upper levels. This pipe-stem had ‘Charlestown’ imprinted on one side and ‘Mac Donnell’ on the other.