2014:159 - TAWNAGHNORE, Mayo
County: Mayo
Site name: TAWNAGHNORE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: NA
Licence number: 11E0072 Ext.
Author: Declan Moore
Author/Organisation Address: Corporate House, Ballybrit Business Park, Galway
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 520735m, N 827755m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.192596, -9.214614
Monitoring was undertaken during development works which involved the removal of topsoil prior to the construction of a settlement pond associated with a proposed combined heat and power plant on a brown field site in Tawnaghmore, close to the village of Killala in Co. Mayo.
Initial testing of the site was carried out on 23 and 24 March 2011. No archaeological material was uncovered during the course of the testing.
Despite the lack of archaeological material revealed within the test trenches it was recommended that monitoring be carried out during topsoil stripping for the proposed development. Groundworks for site investigation involving the mechanical excavation of investigative trial trenches was undertaken on 8 and 9 November 2011. The test pits measured 0.5m in width, 1-2m in length and between approx. 0.5m and 2m in depth. Engineering site investigation works exposed deposits of clays and sandy silts overlying bedrock. A deposit of shells was encountered in TPL 11. A test trench was subsequently excavated around the shell deposit. The deposit was fully excavated in late 2012.
Monitoring of ground works took place between 28 February and 20 March 2014 under constant supervision. A haul road, measuring 295m x 4m was excavated across the site running roughly north-south. In the area nearest the road there were deposits of blue-grey clay overlain with peaty topsoil that was between 0.3 – 0.5m in depth. Towards the higher part of the site the topsoil was upon a thin yellow clay that was upon a broken limestone bedrock. Two small car parks measuring 10m x 4m were also excavated along the road at the higher part of the site.
An east-west orientated trench was excavated across the site to allow for drainage. The topsoil was removed from an area measuring 125m x 3m. The topsoil in this trench was approximately 0.5m in depth and sat upon a broken limestone bedrock.
The area comprising the settlement pond and spoil storage area was located at the northern extent of the site. It measured 10950m2 in total. The topsoil was removed between 12 and 19 March. The topsoil was between 0.2—0.4m in depth and sat directly upon a broken limestone bedrock.
No archaeological material was uncovered during the monitoring.