County: Roscommon Site name: RUNNABACKAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 09E0525
Author: Leo Morahan, Roscrea, Moyard, Co. Galway.
Site type: Various
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 578747m, N 769940m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.678763, -8.321675
proposed sports centre incorporating seven playing pitches, dressing-rooms, gyms, sewage treatment plant and car-parking was tested prior to development. The development fields took up the top and sides of an east–west-aligned ridge, with a double-platform moated site (Site 70) and a poorly preserved barrow (Site 71) contained in the upper western half. The ground around these monuments is to accommodate a proposed green area, free of any construction activity. Prior to testing, a geophysical survey of most of the site fields (ground to the north was too wet) was carried out, with minor anomalies or possible features showing up. A total of 32 long trenches were cut by machine, with little archaeology in evidence. Four small features were exposed which will require resolution.
An oval-shaped red/brown baked-clay area 0.8m north–south by 0.6m, with a black/grey charcoal-stained area near to the south-east, was located in the north-west sector of site. Another baked-earth area of red/orange clay and black charcoal staining with maximum dimensions of 1.6m east–west by 0.95m was located near the western end of one of the eastern fields. It had a small subcircular grey or faun-coloured sandy gravel, 0.35m north–south by 0.23m across, near its centre surrounded by a charcoal-stained black clay 0.6m north–south by 0.62m. A pink/orangestained clay was noted in the northern half of one of the eastern fields. It was irregular in plan with maximum dimensions of 1.1m east–west by 0.8m, but appeared to become partly washed out after constant heavy rain. A drain near the centre was 0.8m wide on top, 0.1m deep at least and cut into the orange daub. It lay 0.45m below ground level and, while it appears probably modern, it nevertheless was not noted in any of the other trenches. Its base had not been reached before it became waterlogged. It is anticipated that work on site will recommence during 2010, when all groundwork will be monitored, and with all future and present features to be fully resolved.
