2016:105 - N5 BALLAGHADERREEN SCRAMOGE ROAD DEVELOPMENT; AH09 Killeen East, Roscommon

Stage (i) Standard Archaeological Test Excavations were undertaken at Lavally & Vesnoy, Co. Roscommon in January–February 2016 in order to provide further information as part of the Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed N5 Ballaghaderreen–Scramoge Road Project. A total of 17 machine-assisted test-trenches amounting to 842 linear metres were excavated within the site (c. 11.15% of the Land Made Available).

Testing confirmed the presence of archaeological features, comprising a ditch-cut C-shaped enclosure with associated linear features, initially identified in geophysical survey. The C-shaped enclosure was open to the east. It had dimensions of 33m (north-south) x 25m and the ditch measured 0.46m wide x 1.3m deep. A sample of Pomoideae charcoal collected from the upper fill of the ditch was dated to AD 1409–1444, indicating a late medieval date. The enclosure was bisected by a pair of east‑west aligned linear ditches.