2015:140 - Cathedral Road, Ballina, Mayo

Monitoring of groundworks at St Muredach's Cathedral, Ballina, County Mayo, was carried out on 31 August 2015. The project consisted of the examination of a crypt located below the sanctuary at the east end of the cathedral. Conservation and repair works were underway on the roof and ceiling of the cathedral. The purpose of the examination of the crypt was to assess the weight-bearing capacity of this area of the cathedral to support scaffolding which it was necessary to erect within the church for the conservation works.
The monitoring was a recommendation of Gerry Walsh, Archaeologist, Forward Planning, Mayo County Council and was deemed necessary due to the site being adjacent to a now redundant record (MA030-091) with an Augustinian Abbey (MA030-074001), an associated building (MA030-074002) and a graveyard (MA030-074003) located nearby. The redundant record referred to the present location of an inscribed stone fragment within the cathedral. It was referred to in the OS Letters as having been removed from Kilcummin graveyard (MA008-006007) and brought to 'the new Roman Catholic Chapel of Ballina'. It is believed to have been a cursing stone, known as 'Leac Cuimin', which was removed by a Father Lyons, P.P. of Kilmore-Erris.
St Muredach's is the cathedral for the Diocese of Killala and was built by Bishop McHale, later Archbishop of Tuam, in 1829. The crypt is located below the altar at the east end of the cathedral. The car park surrounding the cathedral was constructed in 2000, while the crypt (which was not accessible) was opened in 2009. The 2009 works were carried out as there was evidence of water having seeped into the crypt and it was decided to remove the remains of a number of clerics, including a former Bishop of Killala, Thomas Feeny, who reposed there. An exhumation licence was sought and the remains were removed under the supervision of HSE officials. No archaeologist was present during these works.
An area of the car park, centrally located along the east gable of the cathedral, measuring 3.1m north-south, 1.5m wide and 1.25m deep, was excavated in order to access the crypt. Below the tarmac on the surface, was quarried stone. Below the quarried stone was fill. Below the fill was peat, which was just visible at the base of the excavated area. The fill contained modern artefacts, two service ducts and one cut and dressed block.
The crypt was blocked up with concrete blocks, which were removed to allow access. The crypt measured 8.2m north-south, 1.4m wide and 0.62-1.3m high. Three east-west orientated metal bars, used to hold coffins, were visible just inside the opening with one (empty) metal coffin located just south of the opening, resting on one of the metal bars. No human remains were in evidence.
Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered. Nothing visible during the groundworks pre-dated the construction of the cathedral in the early 19th century.

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