County: Mayo Site name: Ballina to Crossmolina
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0796
Author: Terry Connell, Archaeological Consultancy Services, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Monitoring
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 524479m, N 819049m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.114948, -9.155069
Monitoring was conducted between the towns of Crossmolina, Co. Mayo (the town itself was a separate route), and Ballina, Co. Mayo (inclusive of the town), from 13 August 2007 and is ongoing. A single trench was dug to lay the pipe; it was 0.4–0.65m in width, 1–1.2m in depth and it was dug exclusively on public roads or on the verge at the side of the roads.
A small section of stone wall was found during the excavation of a trench on Abbey Street (Ballina) c. 80m from the southern end of the trench. The trench was diverted around this wall so it could be preserved in situ. The wall stretched for c. 10m and had a maximum height of 1m. It was located c. 0.4–0.45m below the level of the current road. The wall consisted of regular and irregular limestones that appeared to be bound by a soft lime mortar. The southernmost 5m portion of the wall was missing its facing; this exposed a core of limestone rubble. The wall was abutted by modern road fill and in three different areas the wall was cut by modern service pipes.
When the wall had been recorded and photographed the pipe was laid and surrounded by sand and backfilled with the wall preserved in situ.
A culvert was located 72m south of the section of wall. This was mostly intact and was also preserved in situ. This was located c. 10m from the riverbank. The culvert retained some of its original flagstones; other parts of it were retouched with cement.
No further archaeological remains have as yet been recorded on this route.
