County: Mayo Site name: Kinturk Upper
Sites and Monuments Record No.: MA089–021 Licence number: 07E0244
Author: Dominic Delany, Dominic Delany & Associates, Unit 3, Howley Court, Oranmore, Co. Galway.
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 513568m, N 783892m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.797399, -9.311945
Pre-development testing was carried out on the site of a proposed dwelling at Kinturk Upper, Ballyheane, Co. Mayo, on 2 April 2007. The proposed development site is located in the north-east part of the area of constraint around an ecclesiastical site at Cornaveagh comprising a church, nunnery, graveyard and holy well site. Five trenches were opened on the footprint of the proposed development. It was clear prior to testing that the site levels were raised considerably in recent times, probably when the adjoining site was developed about five years ago. Testing revealed 1–2m of imported overburden across the site. This overlay the original topsoil layer (where surviving) and bright orange/brown sandy clay subsoil. A small stone-lined pit feature (0.7m by 0.5m) with charcoal-enriched fill and slag elements was uncovered at a depth of 1.5m in the south-east part of the site. As this feature will not be impacted on by the development, preservation in situ was implemented.
