County: Donegal Site name: Cashel
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DG011–054 Licence number: 10E0027
Author: Richard Crumlish, 4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 607623m, N 640604m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.516757, -7.887675
Pre-development testing was carried out on 18 and 19 January 2010 at a site in the townland of Cashel, near Carndonagh, Co. Donegal. The testing was of a proposed development which consisted of the retention of existing earth fill to a portion of the site and the completion of levelling and grading the existing earth fill and the importation of additional earth fill to the remainder of the site. The testing was necessary as the south-east corner of the proposed development site was located within the constraint for a standing stone (DG011–054), which was located c. 50m away.
The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of four trenches located to best cover the accessible areas of the development site; i.e. those areas not already filled. The trenches measured 152.5m, 60.2m, 59.7m and 61m long respectively, 0.4–1.4m wide and 0.3–1m deep. Sections of all four trenches were left unexcavated due to flooding of the trenches in the low-lying and wet south-west corner of the site.
Below the topsoil and recent fill was peat, orange/grey/brown loose sand and gravel, orange/grey/brown friable silt loam and blue/grey/brown plastic clay (natural subsoil). The topsoil contained one modern pottery sherd. Testing revealed nothing of archaeological significance.
