2014:625 - FOXFORD, Mayo
County: Mayo
Site name: FOXFORD
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A
Licence number: 14E0436
Author: Angela Wallace, Atlantic Archaeology
Author/Organisation Address: Pier Road, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 527179m, N 803876m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.979020, -9.110149
Archaeological monitoring was carried out in association with Phase 1 of a development at Foxford, Co. Mayo. The development is located to the south of the N26 and is to the south-east of the River Moy. The development consisted of eight one-bedroom semi-detached units, four two-bedroom semi-detached units, a community building, landscaping and all necessary site works.
A desktop study of available documentary sources, a site visit and photographic record of the area to be developed were compiled previously for an initial archaeological assessment carried out in 2008. No known archaeological finds or features were identified from the area of development during initial assessment.
Archaeological monitoring across the development was recommended due to the presence of marshy ground with potential for peat deposits and burnt mounds or fulachta fiadh, often interpreted as Bronze Age cooking places, which have been found quite frequently in this type of terrain throughout Mayo and much of the west of Ireland.
The majority of the area across the site was covered in peat. Peat in the southern area was relatively shallow ranging from 0.4-0.6m in depth; the peat layer was fairly sterile in this area. The peat was overlying a grey sandy marl subsoil. There were occasional very large boulders within the subsoil layer.
As excavation progressed towards the northern part of the site peat became deeper to a depth of 0.8-1m. there appeared to be an upper layer of peaty fill material to a depth of 0.4m, 0.4-0.8m consisted of an original peat layer with frequent tree roots throughout, overlying a grey subsoil of sandy silt; no large boulders were observed towards the northern area of the site.
In the north-west corner of the site peat had disappeared and there was a topsoil layer up to 0.6m in depth overlying a grey sandy subsoil, no inclusions were evident. In the central area at the northern portion of the site peat was still predominant ranging from 0.5-1m in depth with frequent tree roots throughout.
No evidence for any archaeological artefacts or deposits was noted during monitoring across the footprint of Phase 1 of the development.