2009:382 - CHURCH STREET, ATHENRY, Galway

The proposed development concerns the construction of a parish centre adjacent to the existing Catholic church in Athenry, Co. Galway. The site of the original town wall and moat was thought to survive to the immediate south-east of the development. Following consultation with the National Monuments Division, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, it was decided to test the area in advance of submitting a planning application. Testing was undertaken over a period of three days in September 2009. In the course of testing three trenches were excavated through the site of the proposed development. The trenches were excavated through an existing carpark and adjacent green space using a mechanical excavator with a toothless bucket.
In Trench A, excavation commenced in the northwest, where the gravel covering a modern sewer pipe was encountered directly below the carpark surface. Immediately south of the sewer pipe, the removal of tar and a small stone foundation for tar (C2) revealed a grey sandy clay (C3) at a depth of 0.19m. This layer was excavated for a depth of 0.33m and overlay a narrow band of compact clay (C4) 0.13m deep. A number of cut stones were recovered from C3. C5, found directly below C4, consisted of a loose stone and sandy gravel with occasional large boulders. At 4.6m from the north-west end of the trench a clay pipe was found cut into the sandy gravel (C3). At 9.7m from the north-west end the concrete covering of a modern sewer pipe was encountered and extended for a width of 2m. South of the concrete covering a loose clay layer (C6) was found directly below C2. At a depth of 1.2m the lower torso of an adult human was uncovered. The burial was orientated east–west and an examination of the area revealed a number of coffin nails. The burial (Burial 1) as revealed consisted of the longer and shorter femur bones, patella, fibula and tibia as well as the tarsus, metatarsals and phalanges. These skeletal remains extended from the west baulk of the trench. Once the remains were recorded, no further excavation work was undertaken in this area.
A gunmetal pipe was found 1.1m south-east of this burial running roughly east–west through the trench. Immediately south-east of the pipe two further human burials were encountered cut into the loose clay (C6). All of the burials (Burials 1–3) were found cut into C6 and were located at a depth of 1.22m. All of the remains were orientated east–west and, from the evidence of nails found associated with them, had been buried in coffins. The lower limbs, pelvis, vertebrae and the lower ribs were exposed in Burial 2, while the lower limbs and pelvis were revealed in Burial 3. The burial in the north was larger in size than that to the south and would appear to be an adult, while the southern burial appears to be a female or possibly a child. Once the burials were exposed and recorded, no further excavation was undertaken in this area.
Trench B was excavated 4m from Trench A and measured 15m in length and 1.5m wide. The stratigraphy was similar to Trench A with the tarred surface overlying the stone foundation for tar (C2). Below C2 there was the grey sandy clay (C3) at a depth of 0.19m. This layer was excavated for a depth of 0.4m. C5 was found directly below C3 and consisted of a loose stone and sandy gravel with occasional large boulders. At 9.6m from the northwest end of the trench the concrete covering of the sewer pipe was exposed and extended for a width of
c. 2m. Immediately south of the concrete the loose clay (C6) was encountered directly below C2; 0.5m south of the concrete covering, Burial 4 was encountered at a depth of 1.22m.
Burial 4 was the lower limbs, pelvis, vertebrae and the lower ribs of an east–west-orientated skeleton. An examination of the area surrounding the burial revealed a number of iron nails, indicating that the burial was originally in a coffin. Once revealed, no further excavation was undertaken in this area. The east–west-running pipe was uncovered 1.1m south of Burial 4. Another human burial was uncovered 0.6m south of the pipe and 2m south of Burial 5. Burial 5 was the upper body, including the lower cranium, clavicle and sternum which was revealed in the west baulk of the trench. Located at a depth of 1.23m this burial was found in C6.
Trench C was excavated in the west of the proposed development and measured 12m in length and 1.5m wide. The stratigraphy at the north-west end consisted of tar and tar foundation over a hard stoney gravel (C7), similar to C3 but more compact and more difficult to excavate. At the north end of the trench, excavations were a maximum of 0.4m in depth. A concrete covering of a water pipe was encountered at a distance of 2m from the north-west end of the trench and extended diagonally for a length of 2.5m. A human burial (Burial 6) was identified c. 0.7m south of the pipe at a depth of 0.8m. This burial was cut into C7 and appeared to be a child, orientated east–west and having evidence of a wooden box or coffin. Once the outline of the burial was exposed, no further excavation was undertaken in this area.
In the south-east end of the trench the concrete covering of the east–west-running sewer pipe was located. The gunmetal pipe was located 2m from the concrete cover. Between these features the loose clay C6 was encountered below C2 and excavated to a maximum depth of 1.5m. At the south-east end of the trench a rough stone layer was revealed at a depth of 1.3m.
The proposed development is located immediately adjacent to the site of the town wall and within the area of archaeological significance. Today the area comprises a carpark and green space associated with the Church of Assumption which was completed in 1968 and is located on the site of the earlier parish church, which dates to the 19th century. The OS maps detail the plan of the earlier church and indicate that the area of the proposed development was located outside the church building and between the church and the town wall.

The results of testing indicate that burials are located throughout the area of the proposed development. The testing uncovered six human burials, but it is most likely that more burials are located at this site. Five of the six burials were located in the green-space area in the south-east of the trenches excavated, but one burial (Burial 6) is located in the centre of the carpark. All of the burials located in the south-east of the site are found at a depth of 1.22m and all are found in a loose clay. Burial 6, however, is cut into a natural gravel layer and is found at a depth of 0.8m. All of the six burials are orientated east–west and appear to have been buried in wooden coffins. From the layout of the 19th-century church as indicated on the various OS maps, it appears most likely that the burials are associated with this church.
Trenches A and B revealed burials at the southeast end, but in Trench C there were no burials at this end and deeper excavations were possible. Unfortunately the existence of a pipe and a concrete covering curtailed the excavations; however, it was possible to excavate to a depth of 1.7m in one area. The stratigraphy here consisted of tar and tar foundation which overlay the loose clay (C6). Excavations revealed that this loose clay layer extends for a depth of at least 1.5m and for a length of at least 4–4.5m. It appears that this loose clay may represent the fill of the town fosse, which would have been located in this area. The fosse would have functioned as a defensive ditch up to 8m in width, with its outer bank being almost 1m in height. The fosse would probably have been filled with water diverted from the Clarin River (Rynne 1981, unpublished survey of Athenry Walls). In 1985 Etienne Rynne excavated a portion of a fosse which runs just outside the town wall (Excavations 1985, No. 28). Although greatly disturbed in modern times, it was concluded that the feature was flat-bottomed, 1.7m deep and almost 5.5m in width. The concrete covering of the sewer pipe and the pipe itself appear to have been excavated at the outer edge of the fosse, thereby preventing locating the outer edge or confirming the existence of an outer bank here. The testing at the site suggests that the majority of burials are located in the original town fosse and that the fosse was filled with a loose clay.
In 1985 Rynne excavated a portion of a fosse which runs just outside the town wall. Although greatly disturbed in modern times, it was concluded that the feature was flat-bottomed, 1.7m deep and almost 5.5m in width. The concrete covering of the sewer pipe and the pipe itself appear to have been excavated at the outer edge of the fosse thereby preventing locating the outer edge or confirming the existence of an outer bank here. The archaeological testing at the site suggests that the majority of burials are located in the original town fosse and that the fosse was filled with a loose clay.