County: Galway Site name: Airgloony
Sites and Monuments Record No.: GA029–005 Licence number: 08E0749
Author: Richard Crumlish, 4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 542082m, N 753342m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.526850, -8.873510
Pre-development testing was carried out on 11 and 12 September 2008 at a site at Airgloony townland, Tuam, Co. Galway. The testing was required as an unclassified earthwork (GA029–005) was located within the site. No visible surface trace of the monument survived at the time of the Archaeological Survey of County Galway in 1984. The proposed development site was located in a commercial/
industrial complex, formerly the site of the Tuam Sugar Factory (1934–1987), and had been extensively backfilled. The proposed development consisted of the construction of thirteen light industrial warehouse/storage units in three blocks and 151 surface car parking spaces.
The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of four trenches, which measured 77m, 100m, 108.9m and 119.5m long respectively, 0.9–1.5m wide and 0.15–1.7m deep. Below the fill and topsoil on the surface was mid-brown and orange/brown friable silt loam, orange/brown plastic clay and loose grey sand and gravel. The fill contained 20th-century artefacts. An ESB cable crossed one of the trenches.
This proposed development site had been extensively disturbed during construction of, during and following the lifespan of the Tuam Sugar Factory. No evidence of the unclassified earthwork was uncovered. Nothing of archaeological significance was revealed.
