County: Tyrone Site name: WOODSIDE AVENUE, OMAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/09/34
Author: Kara Ward, ADS Ltd, Unit 6, Channel Wharf, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast, BT3 9DE.
Site type: Urban – no archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 645317m, N 873279m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.605742, -7.298571
The assessment and testing relates to the proposed development of a horticultural therapy area at Woodside Avenue in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, as commissioned by the Western Health and Social Care Trust. The proposed development is located within an archaeologically sensitive landscape with seven recorded sites within a 2km radius. The closest sites, lying c. 750m to the south and south-west, are the O’Neill castle (TYR035–019) and Franciscan friary (TYR035–021), which was founded in 1464 on the site of an earlier monastery.
In 2007 work was undertaken to create a children’s play area on ground next to the existing childcare facility located c. 80m to the north-east of the proposed development. The topsoil-stripping associated with the work was supervised and revealed nine grave cuts (McKelvey 2007).
Testing was carried out on 24 and 25 June 2009. It consisted of the monitoring of removal of overburden in the northern part of the site and selected testing in the southern part of the site. The site was heavily disturbed by various construction works and insertion of associated services over the years. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered.
Reference
McKelvey, M. 2007 Children’s play area built on
burial site. In Ulster Herald www.ulster
herald.com
