County: Galway Site name: Derrydonnell More
Sites and Monuments Record No.: GA096–085 Licence number: E003867
Author: Tori McMorran, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, The Forge, Innishannon, Co. Cork.
Site type: Stone enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 546513m, N 725387m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.276111, -8.801952
Phase 2 excavations along the 27.2km of the N18 Oranmore to Gort (Glenbrack to Rathmorrissey) National Road Scheme were commissioned by Galway County Council and the National Roads Authority.
The recorded location of the cashel was on a high point within an undulating landscape now divided by stone walls. Hand-testing of the site involved ten test-trenches (42m2). A further 1133m2 was machine-stripped on the marked location and its environs. A further area c. 45m by 55m was de-sodded by hand and the underlying topsoil cleared revealing the subcircular remains of the cashel wall, with a minimum internal diameter of 34m. Only parts of the foundation level of the cashel wall survived in situ. The surviving foundation segments comprised of a single course of large, angular, limestone slabs laid on their level plane forming the outer face of the wall. The inner face comprised smaller, more randomly shaped boulders closely set. Between the two faces a core of small- to medium-sized angular and sub-angular rubble stone was recorded. No structures or features were discovered within the interior of the site.
During excavation a number of artefacts were recovered, including a spiral ring, baluster headed ringed pin, a plain ring also possibly once part of a ringed pin and a pink sandstone hone stone.
