2009:410 - LOUGHREA, Galway

Testing was carried out in advance of excavations associated with the development of a Bord G$is distribution main at Loughrea. Fifteen trenches were excavated at various locations within and in the immediate environs of the historic town. These included trenches adjacent to bridges over the Watercourse, namely O’Mahoney’s Bridge, West Bridge, Station Road and Bride Street. Four trenches were excavated along The Walk, which runs parallel to the Watercourse and adjacent to the Carmelite abbey and graveyard, and two trenches were excavated adjacent to St Brendan’s Church and graveyard on Church Street. Three trenches were also excavated within the area of constraint for GA105–049, an ecclesiastical site located to the east of the town.
Disarticulated human remains were uncovered within the trench excavated to the south of the Abbey at The Walk. These were located 0.42m below the current road surface. Excavation ceased at this point and the remains were protected with a geotextile membrane prior to trench reinstatement. It was subsequently decided to directional-drill at a depth of 2m along the route of The Walk, thereby preserving all human remains in situ. Two possible pits were identified at either end of a trench excavated adjacent to St Brendan’s Church on Church Street. This area shall be monitored during excavation works for the distribution main, when it may be possible to record the full extent of these pits. All excavation works within the areas of constraint for GA105–150, GA105–151 and GA105–049 shall be monitored at the construction phase of the development.