County: Mayo Site name: MAYO GROUP WATER SCHEMES DBO BUNDLE 2 ADVANCE WORKS 4
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 11E0145
Author: Bernard Guinan
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 511244m, N 799206m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.934578, -9.351651
This group water scheme project (Design, Build and Operate—DBO—Bundle 2, Advance Works 4) involved pipe-laying centred on four areas: Callow, Meelick, Bohola and Kilasser in central County Mayo.
The total length of the overall group water scheme pipeline is c. 50km, broken down as follows: Callow area, c. 25km; Meelick area, c. 15km; Bohola area, c. 5km; and Killasser area, c. 5km. The outside diameter of the pipe varies from 63mm to 225mm. Works associated with this group water scheme were undertaken in road verges, within roads and in fields. Works are ongoing at the time of writing.
Substantial areas of pipeline were laid using the directional drilling method. This process involves using a specialised heavy rig to drill a hole (through which the water pipe is subsequently fed) horizontally c. 1.5m beneath the ground in lengths of up to 100m. Pits are excavated every 100m. This construction method limits the amount of open ground visible during monitoring. Where the directional drill could not be used, machine open-cut trenching was the method employed
To date a total of eight previously unrecorded fulachta fiadh have been found during monitoring on the project. These sites were identified in Ballinillaun (128562.50 299 825.50), Carrowmore (ed. Meelick) (133320.80 295357.40), Cloongalloon (134 018.40 297984.90), Aghaward (129241.50 299273.60) and Cartronmacmanus I–IV (central point, 135800.00 307150.00).
These fulachta fiadh were recorded and their position mapped. Samples were taken for radiocarbon dating. The group water scheme pipe was diverted away from the sites, which were preserved in situ.
Coosan, Athlone, Co. Westmeath
