2007:1215 - Kilmoremoy, Killala Road, Ballina, Mayo

Testing was carried out in advance of a social housing development and park proposed by Ballina Town Council. The development lies within a 5.71ha site on the Killala Road on the outskirts of Ballina town, Co. Mayo. The site lies adjacent to a modern graveyard and is located within the eastern portion of a constraint zone for MA030–051, an ecclesiastical complex. A church, cemetery, cross-inscribed stone, bullaun stone and enclosure are some of the components of this large ecclesiastical complex. All of these known elements are confined to the area enclosed by the modern Kilmoremoy cemetery and the Old League cemetery. There were no previously recorded features within the area tested.
A total of seventeen test-trenches were excavated within the footprint of the development. The location of test-trenches in the southern area of the development were selected based on the results of a geophysical survey carried out by LGS (Barton 2007). This survey highlighted the presence of several subsurface anomalies within the area in closest proximity to the ruins of a pre-Romanesque church in Kilmoremoy cemetery to the west.
A total of 39 possible archaeological features were identified in Trenches 2–7 in the area closest to the existing archaeological complex. Some of the features identified correlated with the geophysical anomalies but there were also a lot of additional features. No archaeological finds or features were encountered in Trenches 8–17.
A small spread of charcoal was identified in Trench 1 (50m length). Seven different features were identified in Trench 2 (44m length). Features exposed included a large curving ditch, two narrow gullies, a smaller ditch and a distinctive circular ditch identified as being a possible ring-ditch. A cow tooth and two human teeth were recovered from this feature. A small shell midden and a separate charcoal-rich area associated with some large stones were also identified at the west end of the trench.
Eight features were identified in Trench 3 (44m length). At the west end of the trench a deposit of dark-brown sandy silt was identified with occasional charcoal flecks and animal-bone inclusions; there were some large stones associated which may be part of a collapsed wall or boundary. Ten metres further east was a deposit of mid-brown sandy silt with charcoal flecks adjoining a scorched circular area. At the east end of the trench were some patches of charcoal and scorching with associated iron slag. A large north–south-orientated ditch measuring 1.96m east–west was also located near these features.
Five features were identified in Trench 4 (60m length). Two small boulders, which may form a portion of a collapsed wall, and small flecks of burnt bone and charcoal were identified 25m from the west end of the trench. Several isolated patches of charcoal, scorched clay and ash were also located nearby. There was also a linear ditch/gully orientated roughly east–west visible for a distance of c. 10m. At the east end of the trench was a large north–south-orientated ditch with a slight curve, measuring c. 2.7m in width.
Nine features were identified in Trench 5 (70m length). At the west end a deposit with charcoal and scorching and three small fragments of animal bone was identified. There were several linear gullies, ditches and associated charcoal patches also identified throughout this trench.
In Trench 6 (70m length), small patches of charcoal and scorching were identified at either side of the trench 35–40m from the west end. At the west end of the trench a semicircular ditch was identified; the west portion of this feature is not very well defined (it is obscured by topsoil which was left intact). The ditch ranges from 0.7 to 1m in width. The internal area enclosed by the ditch measures c. 4.7m. The edges of this circular feature extend outside the area of the trench to the north. The fill consists of a mid-brown sandy silt with occasional charcoal flecks. This curving gully probably forms part of a ring-ditch.
Five features were noted in Trench 7 (55m length); at the easternmost end of the trench a spread of mid-brown clayey silt with charcoal and iron slag inclusions was exposed. There is a notable absence of features between 5m to 40m from the west end of this trench. At the east end of the trench a semicircular ditch was identified, 1–1.4m in width. The diameter of the visible portion was 4.5m internally and 7.5m externally. Fill consisted of a grey/brown sandy silt. There was a thin lens of charcoal visible on the north-west side of this ditch, which measured 0.15m in width (north–south) by 1.8m in length (north-east/south-west). There were two small deposits/pits of grey/brown sandy silt with occasional flecks of charcoal within the area enclosed by the circular ditch. This is also likely to be part of a ring-ditch with two possible internal cremation pits.
A second curving ditch was also identified c. 5m further east. Only a small portion of this ditch is visible; it had a similar fill of grey/brown sandy silt. It is probable that this forms part of a fourth ring-ditch identified during testing.
The four possible ring-ditches identified during testing may indicate the presence of a previously unknown barrow cemetery. If this were the case it is a highly significant finding, as it provides firm evidence that this area around the modern-day cemetery has been in use for symbolic and ritual purposes as far back as 2000–700 bc. It is difficult to determine with any certainty without further investigation whether the curving ditches at Kilmoremoy date from the Bronze Age.
The ditches, and evidence for high temperature activities also exposed, point to a probable later field system and agricultural and industrial activities. It is likely these features are linked to later occupation of the area by monks as documented in historical sources from around ad 700 onwards. Historical references are very vague about the monastic foundation at Kilmoremoy and the archaeological evidence exposed provides important new evidence about the extent and origins of this monastic settlement.
Reference
Barton, K. 2007 Geophysical Survey Consent 07R. Unpublished report carried out on behalf of Mayo County Council.