2007:1223 - Carrowmore/Lacken, Mayo

Monitoring was carried out during the installation of a group water scheme in the Carrowmore/Lacken area of north Mayo. The scheme followed the north Mayo coastline in the village of Creevagh between Carrowmore/Lacken and the town of Ballycastle. It also ran along the west side of Killala Bay through Rathlacken and terminating at Lacken Cross on the main Killala to Ballycastle road. The width of the pipe trench was 1–1.5m and had a depth of 0.8–1m. Pipe laying was mainly confined to secondary roads and verges. There was no stripping of wayleaves. A reservoir and access road were constructed at Lecarrowntemple/Lackanhill.
The scheme crossed through areas of constraint around fifteen known monuments including two archaeological complexes. No finds or features were identified during monitoring within the areas of archaeological constraint. One new archaeological site was identified in the townland of Doonamona, a spread of burnt stone and charcoal was identified within the pipe trench at NGR G164 317. This deposit of burnt material had a maximum depth of 0.2m and a minimum depth of 0.09m. Its length in the north-east section was 1.74m and in the south-west section it was 6.7m. It was recorded, photographed and a sample was taken.
A second new site, a souterrain, was identified in the townland of Castletown, NGR G178 378. The site was not impacted upon by the pipe trench as it was located some distance from the scheme. It consists of a well-constructed chamber with a corbelled ceiling; local Lacken stone appears to have been used in its construction.
The location of both new sites was passed on to the Archaeological Survey to be incorporated into the Sites and Monuments Record. No other finds or features were recorded during monitoring on this scheme.