2010:346 - Kilskeagh 2, Galway

Excavation was carried out at Kilskeagh 2, Co. Galway, in advance of the M17 Galway (Rathmorrissy) to Tuam Archaeological Services Contract (2010) forming part of the N17/N18 Gort to Tuam PPP scheme in County Galway. The Archaeological Services Contract (2010) was commissioned by Galway County Council and funded by the National Roads Authority. Full excavation was undertaken at the site in June and July 2010.
The site was characterised by three stone-built structures, an enclosing wall and rubble spreads, which suggested three distinct phases of activity at the site.
Phase I
The first phase of activity consisted of the construction of three rectangular-shaped structures (Structures 1–3), which were situated within a sub-square-shaped enclosing wall. The subsoil within the area where the structures and wall enclosure were situated was deliberately reduced to the underlying bedrock, most probably as a secure footing for the foundation walls for the structures.
Structure 1 was rectangular and was orientated north-west/south-east. The foundation walls were built directly over the underlying bedrock and remnants of the natural subsoil. The outer walls were built with both outer and inner facing stones (4–5 courses high) and had a core made up of mortar, cobbles and small irregular-shaped stones. The structure contained an internal wall of similar construction to the outer walls, creating two internal rooms. The interior floor surfaces of both rooms consisted of layers of limestone mortar which covered the underlying natural subsoil and bedrock. A doorway was identified at the north-western room of the south-west wall. This doorway contained some patches of mortar but also utilised the underlying bedrock and placed slabs as steps down into the enclosures interior.
Structure 2 consisted of the partial remains of a rectangular stone-built structure, which was built upon an artificial platform. The platform, consisting of an outer drystone retaining wall which contained a thick levelled layer of limestone rubble with some redeposited subsoil and surfaced with cobbles, was rectangular in shape with its south-western end forming part of the enclosure. Structure 2 had a similar orientation to the platform but only the floor surfaces, the two main internal walls and a small section of the outer wall survived; the rest had been robbed out. The remains of the structure show clearly that it contained three rooms, the largest being the central room. All of the room floors, and probably the walls too, were covered in a limestone mortar surface. Occasional flagstones suggest that the floors were once completely paved with flagstones. The central room contained four doorways. Two were located opposite each other at the location of the outer walls. Their location was identified by the presence of flagstones and traces of limestone wall and floor surfaces showing a gap in both walls. Two more doorways were located opposite each other within the interior walls, close to the south-eastern outer wall. Both of these doorways were identified due to the presence of flagstones and by traces of limestone wall and floor surfaces, showing the gaps in both doorways. There was a large recess within the south-western internal wall, which indicated the presence of a hearth and chimney within the central room. An extra section of wall, as well as a small oven, built using a corbelled stone and clay construction technique, were noted within the central part of the recess. Immediately in front of the recess was an arrangement of flagstones and an area of intense in situ burning, suggesting the presence of an open fire, as well as the oven, in this location. Extending out from the north-eastern internal wall were two small parallel wall sections which projected out approximately 0.58–0.6m into the interior of the central room. It is possible that these walls were part of some internal storage compartment within the central room, possibly for food or fuel.
Only the partial remains of the rectangular stone-built Structure 3 survived. The structure was orientated north-west/south-east and was probably joined to Structure 1 via a section of the enclosing wall. No internal walls were noted and the only floor surface located was rough loose cobbling, which may have been the remnants of a rubble layer rather than a floor surface.
The enclosing wall formed a sub-square shape in plan. Structure 1 projected outside to the north-east, while the other two structures were located within the enclosure. The wall was of drystone construction, though with much of it in a poor state of repair, completely robbed-out or demolished. There would probably have been two distinct areas within the enclosure on both the north-western and south-eastern sides of Structure 2. It seems likely that the north-western side of the enclosure was the main yard area, defined by Structures 1 and 2, as both had doorways leading into this area. The first-edition OS map also shows a track leading from a nearby road to the south-west into this part of the enclosure.
Phase II
Phase II is characterised by the demolition of the structures and enclosing wall and the deposition of debris layers over the area. The layers consisted of a mix of building debris, such as faced stone and mortar, among which were a number of artefacts, such as ceramics, glass and metal, etc.
Phase III
Phase III is characterised by the deposition of a final layer of rubble which consisted mostly of 20th–21st-century field clearance and rubbish. This layer covered the whole site. The layer contained modern farm refuse, such as plastic sheeting, twine, piping, etc.
The preliminary evaluation of the findings of the excavation suggests that the structures and enclosure wall were dated to the post-medieval period. Observation of the excavated remains and the artefacts recovered indicates a late 18th- to early 19th-century date, though this will require further post-excavation analysis to confirm.