County: Donegal Site name: Townparks, College Road, Ballyshannon
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 17E0514
Author: Tamlyn McHugh
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 588115m, N 861540m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.502152, -8.183489
The proposed development at Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, entails the construction of an extension to the Sheil Hospital, including a new access road and car parking facilities, within a site comprising 2.62 ha.
The development area is located on an elevated site with mature grounds to the east of the town centre, overlooking the River Erne. The hospital is accessed via College Road. The land around the hospital is flat and landscaped to the north, however the site slopes steeply south towards the River Erne. To the west of the site is the Bundoran-Ballyshannon Bypass (N15), further west is Cathleen’s Falls and an ESB dam which was built here in the 1940s.
Testing took place from 27 to 30 November 2017. 12 linear trenches were excavated across the, totaling 421m. Each trench was excavated through the overlying topsoil material to the natural substrate underlying the testing area.
Material of archaeological potential was noted in the north-western area of the site in Test Trench 3 close to community allotments gardens. This consisted of a large sub-rectangular boulder orientated north-south. Beneath this stone were a number of smaller stones visible in a void below the boulder. The full extent and nature of this stone feature could not be ascertained during the testing phase and further archaeological investigation will be required. No further material of an archaeological nature was noted in the development area.
17 Cooldrumman, Upper Carney, Co. Sligo
