2009:412 - MOYRUS BAY, MOYRUS, Galway

Foreshore, intertidal and subtidal survey took place of the proposed landfall site of the Sceirde Rocks offshore wind farm cable route located at Moyrus Bay. The survey was conducted in three blocks. The foreshore survey extended across a 270m (east–west) by 144m area of upper and intertidal foreshore. A subtidal block extended 200m offshore (east–west) by 128m. These two blocks were surveyed in March 2009. A third block was surveyed in July 2009, extending the subtidal dive area a further 297m westwards by 80m (north–south), thereby overlapping with the eastern extent of the marine geophysical survey to the west and the landfall archaeological assessment to the east. Nothing of archaeological significance was encountered as part of the foreshore/intertidal survey. However, a number of features of historic interest were encountered.
A sheltered inlet is located at NGR 74695 234360 (centre-point). The inlet is located 147m from the LWM and is completely dry at low water. The inlet has been artificially created by the construction of two quay structures across its mouth. The first structure, Quay 1, runs east–west across the entrance, and the second, Quay 2, runs approximately north–south to form the western side of the inlet. Quay 1 is located at NGR 74703 23411 (centre-point) and Quay 2 is located at NGR 74716 23449 (centrepoint). Neither structure is recorded on the first-edition OS map of 1839, and they are therefore likely to be more recent constructions. Both structures are present on the second-edition OS (1899) maps of the area.
Quay 1 has been extended from the natural shelving bedrock located to the south-east side of the inlet. The structure measures 12.2m in length by 2.5m in width by 1.8m in height. An area of collapse material from the structure extends northwards from the quay terminus for a distance of 2.5m. The outer and upper faces of this structure have been constructed using granite boulders (average size 0.6m by 0.55m by 0.7m) behind which smaller granite cobbles have been placed (average size 0.3m by 0.38m). It is likely that the larger stones and boulders were collected from the foreshore area, while the cobbles form the structure’s internal core and were collected as part of field-clearance works undertaken within the adjacent pasture fields.
Quay 2 measures 28.6m along its eastern side and 6m along its western side. The structure is 4.4m in maximum width (southern terminus) and is 1.6m in height. As with Quay 1, the structure as been built utilising the natural topography of the area. A 22.6mlong section of the western side of the wall is formed by a natural bedrock outcrop. Quay 2 was built in the same way as Quay 1; an area of collapse across the north-east corner of the structure shows its internal fabric. A small iron mooring-hoop was noted protruding from the natural bedrock that forms the north-western side of Quay 2. This fastening is thought to be of 19th-century date and may pre-date the construction of the quayside, the original mooring being truncated by the quay structure.
A low wall is also associated with the formation of the inlet area. The wall measures 3.7m long (north–south) by 3.1m wide and is located c. 15m west of Quay 2. It is built on a low section of granite bedrock and extends between higher bedrock to the north and a large outcrop to the south. It is likely that the wall was built to provide protection from strong westerly and north-westerly winds.