2008:1067 - N59 Farranyharpy–Ballygreighan, Tipperary

Testing was undertaken on behalf of Sligo County Council on the proposed route of upgrading works on the N59 Farranyharpy–Ballygreighan, Co. Sligo. The testing areas were located just north of the foothills of the Slieve Gamph or Ox Mountains. The land in this area is drained by numerous watercourses flowing from the Ox Mountains to the south into Sligo Bay to the north. The route travels through a largely undifferentiated landscape type, characterised by undulating pasture, with some areas of trees, scrub and damp meadow. The proposed route will travel between the townlands of Farranyharpy in the east and Ballygreighan in the west, with proposed testing areas occurring in Doonflin Lower, Doonflin Upper, Grange Beg, Ballygreighan and Ballinphull.
The portion of road proposed for upgrading between Farranyharpy and Ballygreighan is c. 3.5km in length and 35m at its widest point. Eight areas of archaeological potential (Areas 1–8) were selected by the Project Archaeologist Grainne Leamy, including a zone of archaeological potential incorporating SL018–045 (earthwork, hut site and a field system) and SL018–046 (enclosure and a cashel). Numerous sites listed in the RMP are located within the townlands of the eight areas of archaeological potential. Nine of these sites occur within a 0.5km radius of the proposed road scheme. These include two ringforts (SL012–043 and SL018–044), an enclosure (SL018–046002) and a cashel (SL018–046001) in Doonflin Lower, a ringfort (SL018–040) in Grange Beg, two ringforts (SL018–038 and SL018–068) and an enclosure (SL018–037) in Ballygreighan, and a ringfort (SL012–073) in Ballinphull.
The eight areas were tested with 68 trenches, totalling 3451 linear metres. Features of good archaeological potential were uncovered in Areas 1 and 7, while features of limited archaeological potential were uncovered in Area 6 and 8.
Area 1
Area 1 was located within the southern portion of a suite of known archaeological features (SL018–045 and –046). A mini-digger was required to excavate a narrow trench in the space available. A linear feature was uncovered near the western end of this area and on the southern side of the existing road. This was 2m in width and at least 0.6m in depth (further excavation proved impossible due to the narrow width of the trench). It was filled with loosely compacted greyish-brown silty sand that included occasional charcoal and frequent small stones. Six metres further west a large pit was recorded. This measured 2.2–3.5m long and at least 0.4m deep (again further excavation proved impossible) and was filled by loosely compacted sandy silt with a moderate amount of charcoal and small angular and rounded stones. This fill also included occasional fragments of burnt bone and a heat-affected flat stone.
Area 6
A possible field boundary was identified as a north–south-orientated linear feature in the middle portion of Area 6. It measured 1.4m wide and 0.3m deep and extended beyond the limit of the test-trenches to the north and south. It was filled with loosely compacted sandy silt with frequent stone inclusions.
Area 7
A hearth feature and three possible stake-holes were identified towards the western end of Area 7. The hearth was sub-oval in plan and measured 0.9m wide and 0.1m deep. The base of the feature was heavily oxidised, suggesting high temperature in situ burning. A circular stake-hole seemed to either predate the hearth or was cut into the base of it. The stake-hole was filled with black charcoal-rich sandy silt. Stratigraphically above the fill of this stake-hole, a single deposit of dark-brownish-black sandy silt with much charcoal filled the hearth. Two further possible stake-holes were located 0.2m west of the hearth.
Area 8
A linear feature was identified near the eastern end of Area 8. It measured 1.4m wide and 0.3m deep and had a north-east/south-west orientation. It was filled with loosely compacted brownish-grey silty sand with occasional gravel inclusions. The archaeological significance of this feature is uncertain, but it is likely to be related to post-medieval agricultural activity.
The end of a second linear feature was also recorded in the eastern portion of the site. It was orientated north-west/south-east and measured 0.8m wide by 0.35m deep. Its terminus was rounded. The feature was concave in profile and was filled with brownish-grey silty sand. As with the first linear feature, the archaeological significance of this is uncertain and further investigation is required.
Two linear features were recorded in the middle portion of this area. The first was orientated north-east/south-west and measured 1m wide by 0.5m deep. It was concave in profile and was filled with brownish-grey silty sand. The second was a parallel linear feature located 10m to the east. It measured 1m wide and 0.4m deep and was filled with brownish-grey silty sand
Three linear features were located towards the western end of the site. The first was orientated north-west/south-east and measured 1.62m wide and 0.23m deep. It was filled with mid-brown silty sand that included a few stones. Two intercutting linear features were identified 3.2m to the east and both were parallel to the first linear feature. The earlier of these intercutting features measured 0.71m wide and 0.16m deep and was filled with dark-brown silty sand with frequent small stones. This was truncated on its south-western side by the third linear feature. This measured 0.29m wide and 0.12m deep and was filled with light-brown silty sand with occasional small stones.