County: Mayo Site name: Knockbrack
Sites and Monuments Record No.: MA088–020 Licence number: 08E0849
Author: Bernard Guinan, Coosan, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 551566m, N 778513m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.753987, -8.734399
A programme of pre-development testing was conducted in advance of pipe-laying associated with the Drumindoo Group Water Scheme within the area of constraint of MA088–020 (an enclosure), Knockbrack townland, Westport, Co. Mayo. This group water scheme is part of the Design Build and Operate Bundle 2 Advance Works 3 contract which is currently being monitored under licence 07E1130 (see Excavations 2007, No. 1212, and No. 863 above). The site is a tree-lined bivallate enclosure located c. 2m north of the N5 Castlebar–Westport road.
As originally planned the pipe was designed to be routed through a narrow local road which abuts the eastern side of the enclosure. It is likely the construction of this local road cut through and disturbed the bank and ditch of the site. Damage occurred at the eastern side of the enclosure in late 2007 during works to widen this local road (see below No. 917). In the past the site was also encroached upon by the construction of the N5 Castlebar–Westport road immediately south of the enclosure.
Works were rerouted in order to mitigate any archaeological impact on the site and a test area 3m wide and 75m long west of the enclosure was stripped of topsoil.
The test area was excavated mechanically from sod and topsoil through subsoil to an undisturbed natural horizon. There was a uniform stratigraphy across the test area. The maximum depth of topsoil was 0.36m and subsoil measured 0.26m. The natural was a compact orange/grey soil with large stones.
No archaeological finds, features or deposits were uncovered during the course of testing.
