County: Donegal Site name: Black Rocks, Killybegs
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07D32; 07R149
Author: Eoghan Kieran, Moore Marine Services, Corporate House, Ballybrit Business Park, Galway.
Site type: Underwater
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 571257m, N 876396m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.634960, -8.445187
A programme of underwater assessment was carried out at the site of a proposed floating mooring at Black Rock, Killybegs, Co. Donegal. The work was undertaken on behalf of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. Desktop analysis of the historical, archaeological and cartographic sources relating to the proposed development indicated that there are no recorded shipwrecks or known archaeological monuments in the immediate area. It also showed that the site had always been a small natural baylet, protected from prevailing southerly weather conditions by a small rocky outcrop, currently the site of Mooney’s Boatyard. Black Rock Pier, which flanks the northern end of the site and is currently a working pier, was built on a portion of Black Rock.
The assessment noted that the seabed in the survey area consisted of hypoxic silty mud, with a covering of very fine algae. This muddy substrate was noted throughout the entire proposed development area. An assortment of modern materials were noted in the development area by both the visual and metal-detector survey, including lobster pots, aluminium cans and paint tins. No material of archaeological significance was noted. There was no visible evidence of archaeological features or material in the proposed development area. The metal-detector survey did not record the presence of any archaeological material.
