2016:758 - Claregalway, Galway

Testing was carried out in advance of the Clare River Flood Relief Scheme, which is located in the townlands of Kiltroge, Islandmore, Claregalway, Lakeview, Carnmore East, Carnmore West, Gortadooey, Montiagh South and Cahergowan or Summerfield, Co. Galway. The assessment has been carried out by James McKee, Shane Delaney and John Olney of IAC Ltd under licence 16E0291. It follows on from a cultural heritage EIA chapter prepared by Faith Bailey and Maeve Tobin of IAC in 2012.

Testing was carried out over a period of several months from August to December 2016. This was accompanied by a programme of metal detection under licence 16R0096. The testing was subject to the granting of access by various landowners and as such, took place on a phased basis. Overall 142 trenches were excavated across six areas (9954 linear metres). Very little of archaeological significance was identified during the course of testing. In the townland of Kiltroge the remains of a post-medieval vernacular stone- built structure were identified to the south-west of an extant limekiln. To the north of the limekiln the foundations of a stone-built animal pen was identified. The structure was not marked within the historic mapping, although the animal pen was. The limekiln was not marked within the historic mapping. These remains will be excluded from the proposed scheme and as such will not be impacted upon by the proposed works.

The remaining areas have been subject to an intensive programme of testing, but nothing of significance was identified. It is therefore highly unlikely that ground disturbances associated with the proposed scheme will impact negatively upon on the archaeological resource in these areas. As such no further archaeological mitigation measures are deemed to be necessary in association with the six areas subject to archaeological investigations.

IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow