County: Roscommon Site name: BRIDESWELL
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 06E0677
Author: Bernard Guinan
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 594102m, N 744724m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.452559, -8.088793
Pre-development testing was conducted as part of an assessment in advance of the construction of a dwelling house and ancillary works within the area of archaeological constraint of RO048–108 (01–03) (holy well, building, memorial slab), Brideswell, Athlone, Co. Roscommon. The proposed development site is located within Brideswell village on a level site located between the village centre and the holy well complex. The land to the east is marshy, while the well is located to the north. South and east of the development site the land improves to pasture. The development site is screened from the monument by a recently built house located at the northern end of the development site. The development site is bounded to the west by an existing house. The rear garden of this house occupies the floor plan of an old courthouse, of which only the western gable survives.
The holy well is associated with the annual pattern, a religious event that takes place in early August and which probably echoes the ancient festival of Lughanasa. It is likely that the well was originally a pre-Christian site that was rededicated to St Brigit.
Three machine-cut test-trenches were excavated across the proposed development site. Trenches I and II were 1.5m wide by 25m long and orientated north-east/south-west. Trench III was 1.5m wide by 10m long, orientated north-west/south-east. Each trench was excavated stratigraphically using a Hitachi EX 130 equipped with a toothless bucket. There was a uniform stratigraphy across the entire site. A thin topsoil rested on deep glacial gravel.
No archaeological finds, features or deposits were uncovered during the course of testing.
Coosan Athlone, Co. Westmeath
