County: Galway Site name: Raheen
Sites and Monuments Record No.: GA084-120 Licence number: 11E207
Author: Anne Carey
Site type: Stone bank
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 549142m, N 728118m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.300910, -8.762981
Following the submission of a report in 2011 on two phases of pre-development testing at Raheen townland, Athenry, Co. Galway (Excavations 2011, No. 276), to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, a recommendation that a further trial trench be excavated was made. The location of this trial trench was specified at the south-western side of the site, adjacent to the current entrance gate.
The site at Raheen townland was classified as a cashel (Knox, H.T. ‘Ballygurraun and Raheen group of works’ JGAHS Vol. 10, Pt. 3 (1917-18), p. 104) or a hilltop enclosure (Archaeological Survey of Ireland files). It comprised a low bank of stone, extant only from south-west to north, located close to the site of a proposed single dwelling. The location of the most recently excavated trench was chosen to investigate the south-western limit of the stone spread. In this area it was thought to form two concentric banks, with a corresponding ditch between (Archaeological Survey of Ireland files) but a later survey by Martin Fitzpatrick, Archaeologist, shows the extent of the co-existence between both areas to be minimal.
The results of the excavation of a single trial trench at the south-western limit of the site shows natural deposits, comprising a small linear ridge, orientated north-east/south west, running parallel with a shallow stone spread for a short distance. The area between the two features presents as a slight depression that excavation has shown to be due to the natural falling away of bedrock in this area. There were no features or finds of archaeological interest discovered in the course of the excavation of the trial trench. This section of the site appears to be of natural origin.
Portacarron, Ballymoneen Road, Galway
