2012:273 - Distillery Road, Galway, Galway

Monitoring of groundworks at an extension to the Bank of Ireland, NUIG Campus, Distillery Road, Galway City, was carried out between 23 January and 12 March 2012.  Monitoring was necessary due to the proximity of the site to St James’ Chapel (site of) (GA094-038).  The monument had been demolished in the early 20^th century.  St James’ Chapel is thought to date to the early 16^th century and was located on the west bank of the River Corrib.  It is recorded on the 1^st edition of the OS six-inch map, dating to 1840, as being in ruins.  It is described in the OS Letters as a rectangular chapel which had a twin light window and an arched recess in one of the side walls.  The window and other fragments are preserved in NUIG.  A holy well which was located a short distance south of the chapel was destroyed by the construction of a millrace, associated with the Newcastle distillery, in the late 18^th century.

Works had begun on the site previously but were halted due to the collapse of the construction company in late 2010.  There was no monitoring of those works.  Services, including drainage, ducts and a gas line had already been installed in the north-eastern half of the site and the ground disturbance carried out was visible over most of the site area.  The site was bisected by a tarred access road and contained spoil heaps of gravel and rubble, a number of skips and ducting.

The proposed groundworks consisted of the excavation for 11 pads with a number of connecting ground beams, a lift shaft, a strong room, the extension of an existing basement/tunnel, a new fence along the south-west site boundary, the reduction in level of the access road and landscaping.

Monitoring of the groundworks revealed a site which had undergone a number of periods of extensive disturbance.  The most recent disturbance dated to 2010 during the initial phase of the project.  Unfortunately no archaeologist was in place to monitor these works when much of the site was disturbed to a greater or lesser degree.  The previous period of disturbance at the site dated to the construction of the existing Bank of Ireland building during the second half of the 20^th century.  These two periods of disturbance had removed almost all evidence of the previous stratigraphy at the site, which of course may well have been extensively disturbed by the construction of the distillery here in the late 18^th century.  A short section of a possible wall feature, which was exposed in section within the lift shaft pit and which was preserved in situ, may be a feature associated with the distillery period.

Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence and none of the modern artefacts uncovered were retained.

4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.