2007:77 - The Argory, Derrycaw, Armagh

Monitoring was undertaken during the construction of two canoe berths and landing stages on the south bank of the River Blackwater at The Argory, a historic demesne of c. 392 acres extent located near Moy, Co. Armagh. The sites for both canoe berths were located along the northern edge of the historic demesne, its northern and western boundary naturally formed by the River Blackwater. Site 1 was located immediately west of the Pleasure Grounds to the north of the mansion house and Site 2 was located at the northern end of the property adjacent to Bond’s Bridge and the site of a late 18th- and early 19th-century ferry crossing point. Given the wealth of artefacts recovered from metal detecting of river dredgings along the Blackwater in recent times, including in the townland of Derrycaw, and the recovery of dugout boats from this stretch of the river from the 19th and 20th century, a metal-detecting survey of the proposed landing sites was also undertaken prior to and during the groundworks to prepare the sites for the wooden landings. The riverbank at both site locations was cut and graded using a mechanical excavator. No features or finds of archaeological significance were revealed at either site location.