County: Mayo Site name: Cloontooa, Caraun, Carrowreagh & Carrowbeg
Sites and Monuments Record No.: None Licence number: 14E0120
Author: Dominic Delany
Site type: Burnt spreads
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 539924m, N 776586m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.735457, -8.910544
Pre-development testing took place on the site of a proposed wind farm at Cloontooa, Caraun, Carrowreagh and Carrowbeg, Co. Mayo between 19 May and 4 June 2014. The development comprises the construction of 6 wind turbines, upgrade of existing and provision of new internal access roads, provision of an anemometry mast, peat disposal areas, electricity sub-station, underground electricity cabling, temporary construction compound and all ancillary site works. There are no recorded monuments within the site boundary.
Twenty-seven test trenches were opened on the sites of the proposed wind farm infrastructure. Four spreads of burnt material were uncovered at Carrowreagh in the west extent of the development site. Two were located on the site of the construction compound. These were sealed by 0.3m of topsoil, extended 2.8m and 3m north-west/south-east within the trench, and were 0.2-0.3m in thickness. A further two burnt spreads were located on access roads in the vicinity of Turbine C7. These were sealed by approximately 1m of peat and measured 2.9m and 6m north-south within the trench.
It is proposed to preserve the archaeological material in situ by reducing the size of the construction compound and realigning the relevant access roads.
Dominic Delany & Associates, Creganna, Oranmore, Co. Galway
