2007:1217 - Ballinrobe Broadband Scheme, Mayo

The Ballinrobe broadband scheme involves trenching for 7.22km of ducting laid within footpaths, roads and road verges in Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.
Four stone-built drains were encountered within pipe trenches during the monitoring of works. The first of these was located on Bowgate Street (119143 264111). The section exposed in the pipe trench was 7m in length and 0.4m beneath the road surface. A second stone drain was encountered at the southern limits of Ballinrobe town in Knockfereen townland (119391 263480) c. 30m east of the water towers. The exposed section of limestone coursing was 3.5–4m in length running north–south. The third stone drain was found in the pipe trench at the north end of Main Street at the junction with Glebe Street (119170 264477). It was located 0.4–0.5m below the road surface and consisted of randomly coursed dry limestone. A 2–3m-wide cross-section of the stone drain was exposed. A fourth stone drain was exposed in the broadband pipe trench which ran east–west under the footpath along High Street (118965 264566). The stone drain was stone capped with carefully constructed walls of coursed limestone. The visible length measured 18m. The visible area of each of these four stone drains was recorded; exposed masonry was covered with terram and preserved in situ.
Some modern finds including clay-pipe fragments were uncovered during monitoring.