2006:AD18 - Bellagelly South, Mayo

Monitoring of peat extraction took place at the Corrib gas field terminal at Bellagelly South, Co. Mayo, from October 2006 to July 2007. As with all previous excavation works on site (Excavations 2005, No. 1107, directed by Finn Delaney), a permanent archaeological presence was maintained throughout. Peat extraction took place before construction began in the following areas: the footprint of the terminal building, a borrow pit, a carpark, a flare stack area, a warehouse, and a pipeline causeway. Peat extraction also preceded various roadways, including internal perimeter roads, the north–south gas import road and link roads. The peat stratigraphy conformed to the same pattern of humification across the site. The upper, less humified, peat layers presented as bright orange to brown and were largely composed of sphagnum and grasses, while the lower layers were darker, more humified, and contained larger floral elements, including many tree stumps at the basal levels. Wooden elements were systematically examined, but none showed signs of having been worked. No features or finds of archaeological significance were recovered during monitoring.