2013:551 - Ballygarraun South, Galway

Testing was carried out on the site of the proposed new Presentation College at Ballygarraun South, Athenry from 30 January to 2 February 2013. The site comprises of two large fields divided by a Teagasc farm road which extends north-east/south-west across the site. The farm road follows the route of an old field boundary, which was identified by Knox (1917) as an ancient road/trackway (GA084-118) but is unsubstantiated as an archaeological monument. Testing and monitoring along a section of the 'ancient roadway' located north-east of the development site suggests the route follows the line of a former gravel ridge. Testing was preceded by a geophysical survey (McCarthy, 2013) which revealed a series of linear anomalies indicative of cultivation or drainage features in the southern field and a single linear anomaly (L 55m) in the northern field. The linear anomaly in the northern field occurs just north of the Teagasc farm road and it was suggested that it may represent the remains of a field boundary, drainage feature or trackway.

Twenty-seven trenches were opened in a centre-line and offset array, designed to test the entire development footprint and the anomalies identified by geophysics. Several of the anomalies were found to correspond to agricultural linear features: stone-filled drains and silted up furrows. A large ridge running east-west across the south of the site was revealed to be a natural gravel ridge. A wide ditch-like feature in the north-west corner of the southern field corresponded with a geophysical anomaly but contained only topsoil and boulders. No archaeological material was found.

Dominic Delany & Associates, Creganna, Oranmore, Co. Galway