County: Galway Site name: Ballyquirke West
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: E4513
Author: Johnny Ryan & Shane Delaney,
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 522077m, N 732944m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.340984, -9.170124
Stage (i) (b) archaeological testing at Ballyquirke West was undertaken in advance of the N59 Moycullen Bypass, Co. Galway. The work was undertaken on behalf of Galway County Council and the National Roads Authority.
Testing (hand excavation) was undertaken within an area measuring 10 m by 10 m in proximity to and surrounding a possible boulder burial in Ballyquirke West townland. The boulder was identified during the Environmental Impact Assessment for the road scheme (EIS No. 28), and highlighted as possibly representing a Bronze Age burial monument.
The area was stripped of sod and topsoil and cleaned by hand to the underlying subsoil surface and the boulder was moved through the use of a machine to expose the area beneath it.
No features of archaeological significance were identified and the boulder appeared to be a naturally occurring glacial erratic too large and heavy for any improving farmer to have moved in the past.
IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
