2016:191 - Ballytivnan (Duck Street, Ash Lane & Barracks Street, Sligo) , Cartron (Carbury By.), Farranacardy Rathquarter, Sligo

Moore Group was commissioned to carry out a programme of archaeological monitoring of the Sligo City Watermains Rehabilitation Works at Sligo Town, Co. Sligo. The groundworks were undertaken between 9 February and 14 March 2016. The site investigation works were located in the vicinity of a number of recorded archaeological monuments, architectural heritage buildings and in proximity to the zone of archaeological potential for Sligo (SL014-065 Historic Town).

Works involved the excavation of 40 slit trenches in the townlands of Ballytivnan, Cartron (Carbury By.), Farranacardy and Rathquarter. Some slit trenches were located in existing roads at Ash Lane, Duck Street and Barracks Street. The stratigraphy on Duck Street, Ash Lane and Barracks Street exposed the road surface overlying redeposited road fill, no natural ground was uncovered. Stone culverts were located in three different trenches, two on Duck Street and one on Barracks Street. No further material of an archaeological nature was found in any of the slit trenches located in roads.

Green field areas in the townland of Ballytivnan in proximity to the Clarion Hotel, the former Sligo and Leitrim District Lunatic Asylum did not reveal any archaeological material. The ground was quite disturbed by existing services and the demolition of previous buildings associated with the asylum. Several architectural pieces of dressed were found in a nearby field. There were no finds or features of archaeological significance noted in the slit trenches in the townland of Ballytivnan or Farranacardy.

Further slit trenches excavated into grass verges at Ash Lane, Duck Street, Ballytivnan (at the rear of the present FAS building), at the pedestrian walk to Old Cartron and at the Rosses Point junction did not reveal any archaeological finds or features.

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