2013:138 - 18-21 Castle Street/8-9 Teeling Street, Sligo, Sligo

Pre-development testing was carried out between 26 and 29 August 2013 at a site at 18-21 Castle Street and 8-9 Teeling Street, Sligo.  Testing was required due to the location of the site within the archaeological constraint for Sligo Town (SL014-065), indeed the location was the site of ‘Crean’s Castle’, a late medieval tower-house or fortified merchant’s house, which had disappeared by the late 18^th/early 19^th century.  No features of archaeological significance were visible within the site.

The proposed development was located at the junction of Castle Street and Teeling Street, to the rear of the buildings fronting onto Castle Street and Teeling Street and involved the demolition of a number of sheds/outbuildings dating from mid-late 19^th century up to second half of the 20^th century.  The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of three trenches.  The trenches measured 20.4m, 10m and 2.7m long respectively, 1.0-1.6m wide and 0.4-1.4m deep.

Testing revealed evidence of modern activity at the site dating from the 19^th and 20^th centuries and possibly back to the 18^th century.  Walls, mortar floors, cobbles, a culvert, a drain containing red brick and a number of ceramic sewers uncovered all appeared to relate to the buildings recently demolished, which were dated to no earlier than the 19^th century.  Concrete floors were in evidence in two of the trenches.  Topsoil, fill, a shell-rich layer and a layer of silt loam all produced modern artefacts.  A shell midden uncovered in one of the trenches was located above a re-deposited layer which also contained modern artefacts.  A wig curler was found in a context which also contained modern pottery sherds and a modern glass fragment.  A cut at the base of one of the trenches did not require excavation as it was located below the level of the proposed development and would not be impacted upon.

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