County: Sligo Site name: Culleenduff, Strandhill
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SL014-1460001 & 002 Licence number: 16E0350
Author: Declan Moore, Moore Group
Site type: —
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 562338m, N 833469m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.248678, -8.577884
Moore Group was commissioned by MacGabhann Architects to undertake a programme of archaeological testing at the site of a proposed dwelling house development at Culleenduff, Strandhill, Co. Sligo. It is proposed to demolish an existing c. 1970's derelict structure and redevelop the property. The site occupies a plot at the base of the southern slope of Knocknarea and is within the ‘zone of notification’ for five recorded monuments including SL014-1460001 an enclosure, SL014-1460002 a midden, SL014-1480001 a settlement platform, SL014-1480002 a midden and the archaeological complex associated with Knocknarea (south) SL014-076 (Nat Mon No. 153). The existing split level dwelling is built onto a terrace on a sloping site that enjoys good views to the south-east and south across Ballysadare Bay. The original development would have necessitated significant groundworks digging into the hillside and creating a platform for the foundations.The house was originally accessed via a lane to the south-east, in recent years a new access road has been added to the south-west.
A site assessment undertaken in December 2015 confirmed the location of the enclosure and midden (SL014-146001 & 146002) to the west of the house. The enclosure has been obscured for years by trees and partially survives as a low bank of earth and frequent small stones visible to the south. More recently site clearance works and the mechanical excavation of three trial pits have been carried out in the area of the enclosure’s bank and the midden (SL014-146001 & 146002) directly impacting upon archaeological material.
The assessment recommended that damage caused to these levels be recorded and the site be reinstated. In addition it was recommended that pre-development testing be undertaken.
Licensed investigations were carried out on August 19 2016. Three trenches were excavated to the south of the existing structure. One of the trenches contained disturbed shell fragments mixed with modern debris. The remaining trenches contained no materials of archaeological significance. The trial pits were drawn, environmental samples retrieved and the pits were then backfilled. A cordon was strung out along the line of the old field boundary.
It was recommended that the site of the enclosure and midden be avoided to prevent any impacts to the monuments. This precludes the tracking of machinery or the storage of spoil/construction material to the east of the old boundary line. Based on the level of site disturbance from the previous development and the results of the testing it was recommended that the proposed development proceed without further archaeological mitigation.
3 Gort na Rí, Athenry, Co. Galway
