2012:143 - Cloghbolie, Meenacarn and Boyoughter, Donegal

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Donegal Site name: Cloghbolie, Meenacarn and Boyoughter

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 12E0074

Author: Fiona Beglane

Site type: No archaeological significance

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 580438m, N 904733m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.889996, -8.304906

Stage (i) test excavations and monitoring were undertaken at five locations as part of the N56 Cloghbolie-Boyoughter Road Improvement Scheme on behalf of Fox Building Contractors, Donegal County Council and the National Roads Authority.  The proposed realignment of the section of the N56 between Cloghbolie and Boyoughter commences south of Drumlaghdrid Hill where the N56 passes close to a coastal inlet of Trawenagh Bay, where it crosses Cloghbolie Bridge, just before the Meenacarn Bends. On the approach to the Meenacarn Bends the proposed route goes off line through predominantly wet grassland, blanket bog and some broadleaf woodland before the alignment rejoins the existing N56 after the Lough MacHugh outlet stream (Galwolie Burn) and travels onward for a distance of 1.7km through a straight section of the N56 at Boyoughter after which this scheme ends.  Test excavations were carried out by Sébastien Joubert for Donegal County Council in 2011 in three areas along the route (Excavations 2011, No. 141, 11E0293). Nothing of archaeological significance was discovered in these areas. Some areas were not accessible due to overgrowth and impenetrable scrub and these areas (Areas 1-5) are discussed here. A total of 31 trenches and areas were excavated or monitored, totalling c. 0.2011ha.  At all locations, peat was found directly under the sod and continued down to the depth of the glacial deposits.  This peat ranged from absent (bare rock) to greater than c. 3m deep.  Patches of mineral soil were found in only two locations.  Both of these were less than 0.5m in diameter and only a few centimetres deep, and were found in crevices between rocks on the drier slopes of bedrock outcrops.  In certain places, trees were located preserved within the peat, however, when examined, no evidence of worked wood was found; on the contrary, these all appeared to be natural treefalls. No structures, deposits or material of archaeological significance were identified at any of the testing or monitoring locations.

Glenborin, Donegal Town, Co. Donegal