2015:015 - CASTLESAMPSON, Roscommon

Monitoring of groundworks at a quarry development at Castlesampson townland, Bellanamulla, County Roscommon, were carried out intermittently between 30 June 2014 and January 2015. The monitoring was a condition of planning permission.

A souterrain (RMP No. RO051-015), located on a height in the northern half of the development site near the eastern site boundary (ITM 592552, 741275), had been disturbed during initial ground investigations in July 2007 with an exclusion zone around it subsequently put in place. Remedial works were then undertaken under the guidance of the National Monuments Service.

A subsequent impact assessment of the proposed development, carried out by Eachtra, recommended pre-development testing. The testing was carried out by The Archaeology Company in August 2010 under Licence No. 10E346. Sixty-seven test trenches were excavated across the development area, which revealed nothing of archaeological significance. The testing report recommended monitoring of the initial construction phases of the development.

The site, of c. 8.9ha, was located in undulating pastureland traversed east-west by two gravel ridges of glacial origin, i.e. eskers. The groundworks consisted of the stripping of topsoil from the entire area of the smaller of the two ridges to the south, from the western half of the larger ridge to the north and along the route of an access road located c. 1.2km to the east of the quarry.

The area stripped along the western half of the larger ridge measured 50m east-west by 84-95m. The area stripped along the smaller ridge measured 175m east-west by 25-64m. The access road measured c. 250m long, 5-8.1m wide and was reduced by 0.1-0.9m deep. Below the topsoil were natural subsoils, predominantly loose orange/grey/brown sand and gravel.

Two modern bits of metal and a single domestic animal burial were the only finds. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence. It was recommended that the stripping of topsoil from the remaining areas of the proposed development be monitored.