2011:257 - GALWAY, Galway

The works entailed the laying of 370m of 0.18m-diameter gas main extension in open-cut trenching along the existing roadway at Eglinton Street, Galway, and additional works at Francis Street and Woodquay and surrounding streets and laneways. The trench was approximately 1m by 0.5m in width. The work was carried out by Bord Gáis Networks. It was anticipated that the works would expose a section of the town defences and the Lion Tower, and provision was made to secure ministerial consent for any proposed works on foundations of archaeological potential. In consultation with Bord Gáis Networks it was agreed that in the event of encountering the town defences the 0.18m-diameter gas main would be replaced by a 6in. steel pipe that would require a lesser cover (0.5m) and therefore reduce any direct impacts on in situ masonry. It was further agreed that no direct works would take place on the town defences without prior consultation with the National Monuments Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Excavations along Court Avenue exposed modern hardcore fill below the road base, overlying a natural yellow-brown clayey sand. To the rear of the Town Hall Theatre there were patches of a dark organic horizon at a depth of 0.8m. This organic layer became more frequent at the southern end, towards the junction with St Vincent’s Avenue. There were a number of modern services throughout. No finds, features or materials of archaeological significance were exposed along Court Avenue.
Excavations along Court Lane exposed modern hardcore fill below the road base, overlying a natural yellow-brown clayey sand. The upper deposits were sterile but towards the base of excavations a peaty layer was encountered 0.8m below the existing road service. This very compact layer continued beneath the limit of excavations. The peat contained some brick fragments and shell. There were a number of modern services throughout. No finds, features or materials of archaeological significance were exposed along Court Lane.
Excavations at St Anthony’s Place involved general ground reduction across the entire width of the roadway to a depth of approximately 0.2m. The pipeline trench was excavated towards the northern side of the road. The stratigraphy comprised modern hardcore fill below the road base, overlying a natural yellow-brown clayey sand with frequent large stones and rubble. This overlay a peaty material at the limit of excavations. There were a number of modern services throughout. No finds, features or materials of archaeological significance were exposed along St Anthony’s Place.
Excavations on Francis Street involved a pipeline trench in the existing roadway. Tarmac and hardcore overlay a rubble fill with modern inclusions in a brown silt matrix. This overlay a grey/brown natural clay with occasional limestone boulders at the base of excavations. Towards the junction with Eglinton Street/Mary Street, a stone-lined culvert was observed running roughly east–west along the eastern side of the carriageway, 0.21m from the kerb line. Its internal dimensions measure 0.46m wide by 0.5m high. The side walls were built to four rubble courses bonded with a rough lime mortar and capped with a roughly hewn limestone slab. The culvert had been blocked in the past at the eastern side by sandbags and is blocked up by masonry at the western end. This feature may represent culverting of the Suckeen stream, as depicted on the Pictorial Map of Galway. This branch of the river ran to the Abbey Bridge but ceased to be a substantial watercourse by 1691. The culvert exposed during the course of excavations here dates from a later period.
Excavations along Eglinton Street exposed a consistent stratigraphy throughout the length of the street, comprising road surface overlying hardcore and fill which in turn overlay redeposited rubble in a yellow-brown sandy matrix. This overlay a natural yellow-brown sandy clay.
A section of the city bastion wall and an adjacent foundation were uncovered on 15 June 2011. The city wall/bastion wall ran east-north-east/west-south-west and was found near the centre of the carriageway at grid reference 529667 725252 between the CAO office, Tower House (eastern side) and No. 21 Eglinton Street. The adjacent foundation was found 2.1m to the south-east of the wall at a depth of between 0.4m and 0.52m and consisted of a rubble foundation with an upper course of stone that appeared to be laid in an arc. This foundation was interpreted as representing the circular base of the Lion Tower, as depicted on the 1651 Pictorial Map of Galway.
The wall was found directly below the tarmac and hardcore surface at a depth of 0.3m and consisted of a heavily mortared limestone rubble-built foundation. It was exposed on the northern side to a depth of 1m over seven courses and had a battered face. The wall was 3m wide and traversed Eglinton Street from the north-west to the south-east, towards the CAO buildings.
The bastion wall remains in good condition and constitutes a substantial foundation measuring approximately 2.6m in width, built of roughly hewn limestone rubble blocks bonded with lime mortar. Preliminary work on either side of the wall exposed a fair face with a slight batter along the north-west-facing elevation; the south-east face was more ragged. The wall lies at a depth of between 0.45m and 0.5m below the existing tarmac surface; on the southern side, however, a single rubble block on the south face was higher, lying 0.2m below the road.
The foundation wall for the Lion Tower was patchier and the southern end had been entirely removed at some point in the past. An electricity cable truncated the wall at the north and may have disturbed it during construction. The northern end of the wall remains in good condition and constitutes a substantial foundation approximately 2m wide, built of roughly hewn limestone rubble blocks bonded with lime mortar. The wall lies at a depth of between 0.45m and 0.5m below the existing tarmac surface. A slight curve was observed which matches the curve of the Lion Tower as depicted on the Pictorial Map of Galway.
After discussions with the client and representatives of the DAHG, a wider area was exposed to establish whether there was a possibility of diverting the pipeline in order to avoid disturbing the wall foundations. Tarmac was removed to extend the cutting to a width of 1.8m towards the footpath on the eastern side of the roadway. The wall was observed directly below tarmac in places, as was the foundation wall of the Lion Tower. At the eastern limit an angle was observed in the bastion wall, indicating a possible corner. After removal of several stones, the pipeline was laid on a terram surface and covered over.
There were a number of modern services throughout the street. No further finds, features or materials of archaeological significance were exposed along Eglinton Street.

Moore Archaeological & Environmental Services Ltd (MOORE GROUP), Corporate House, Ballybrit Business Park, Ballybrit, Galway