County: Mayo Site name: Ballintemple
Sites and Monuments Record No.: MA061–126 Licence number: 08E0516
Author: Richard Crumlish, 4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 533134m, N 800316m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.947839, -9.018592
Pre-development testing was carried out on 15 July 2008 at a site at Ballintemple townland, Meelick, Swinford, Co. Mayo. The site was located within the constraint for an enclosure (MA061–126), of which no surface trace survived. It may have been located on the adjacent site to the east north-east of this proposed development, on which stands a 20th-century bungalow with a large shed to the rear. There were no archaeological features visible within the site, which was located within a relatively flat field which had been the subject of an amount of recent ground disturbance associated with the construction of a recently completed dwelling and garage on the adjacent site to the west-south-west. The proposed development consisted of the construction of a single dwelling house, PETU, percolation area and all ancillary works.
The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of four trenches which measured 15.3m, 69.4m, 9m and 9.5m long respectively, 0.95–1.6m wide and 0.45–1m deep. Below the topsoil was peat, blue/grey/brown plastic sandy clay, orange/grey/brown friable/loose loamy sand and orange/grey/brown plastic clay. A plastic field drain and an ESB cable crossed one of the trenches. No artefacts were recovered. Nothing of archaeological significance was revealed.
