County: Galway Site name: Newtownsmith, Galway
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0022
Author: Martin Fitzpatrick, Arch Consultancy Ltd, Ballydavid South, Athenry, Co. Galway.
Site type: Urban, mill-race
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 529643m, N 725460m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.274806, -9.054861
In January 2007 pre-development testing was undertaken at the site of a proposed mixed development at Newtownsmith, Galway. One of the conditions of planning required testing at the site in advance of development. The proposed development would involve the demolition of a 20th-century building that is located on the site of a 19th-century mill. A protected structure in the form of an inscribed stone is located on the building.
Three trenches excavated revealed the mill-race running through the site. Traces of the surface of a 20th-century yard and a layer of cobbles were revealed in the west of the site. Elsewhere on the site testing revealed fill material below a concrete surface. Monitoring of demolition works and of trenches excavated to support concrete post foundations revealed the extent of the mill-race. The inscribed stone, removed during demolition works, has been put into the façade of the new building.
