County: Galway Site name: Claregalway and Cahergowan or Summerfield
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E4248; C437
Author: Nial O’Neill, Headland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd, Unit 25, Liosbaun Industrial Estate, Tuam Road, Galway.
Site type: Medieval settlement and graveyard
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 537240m, N 733278m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.346005, -8.942528
Testing and excavation works were undertaken at Claregalway, Co. Galway, on behalf of the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Galway County Council. The works were undertaken in advance of flood relief works on the River Clare in Claregalway, Co. Galway.
The development, to relieve the potential for flooding in the town by increasing the flow of water under the existing Claregalway Bridge, was located within a rich urban archaeological landscape. The proposed works will take place within the medieval borough of Claregalway (GA070–109) and also within the constraint areas of Claregalway Friary (GA070–035001–36) and Claregalway Tower-House (GA070–036/036001–2). None of the standing remains will be impacted on by the proposed development. However, Claregalway Abbey and associated graveyard (GA070–012001–2) lie only 5m to the west of the flood relief site, and a small proportion of the graveyard was affected by the proposed works.
Testing and excavation works began on 18 November 2010 and were completed on 25 February 2011. Three construction areas were tested and all contained archaeological remains. Two of these areas underwent full excavation. Deposits in the third area were protected and preserved in situ by the placement of an exclusion zone around the archaeological remains.
As the majority of the excavation works were carried out in 2011, a detailed bulletin will be submitted for next year.
