2017:815 - Dominick Street, Galway, Galway

The excavation of 12 test trenches at various locations on the west bank of the Corrib extending down Dominick Street towards Father Griffin Road and William Street West, Galway City was monitored on behalf of Gas Networks Ireland. Of the 12 trenches 9 lie within the constraint zone for the Historic town, GA094-100. The streets have has seen considerable disturbance in modern times from the installation of services including water mains, sewerage, broadband and other services.

Twelve slit trenches on existing carriageways/bridge were monitored over 4 days between 28 and 31 August 2017 using a mechanical excavator. Typically, the trenches were half the width of the road approximately 3.7-4.5m, were 0.6m wide and were dug to a depth of 1.1m.

Infilled material noted in trenches at and near the junction of Dominick Street Upper and Lower probably dates from the mid-19th century construction of the Eglinton Canal. Along Dominick Street Lower, the subsurface has been cut by modern services and drainage works however occasional animal bone fragments and post-medieval pottery were noted. In William Street West testing exposed natural bedrock at varying levels.

A stone-built foundation 0.56m below existing road surface was observed in middle of the road junction between Dominick Street Upper and Lower, opposite Lock House (NIAH 30318021). It was exposed at the southern end of trench. The foundation was 0.7m deep and had two visible rough courses. Below this was a dark, organic-rich material with inclusions of shell. This may be the remnants of 'Balls Bridge'as described below.

There is cartographic evidence of a bridge (GA094-100032-) from Ballymana Island (Dominick Street Lower) to the Curryglass area around Dominick Street Upper from the mid-16th century. This bridge appears on maps by Fitzwilliam (1589), John Speed (1608) and Phillips (1685) and on the mid-17th century Galway Pictorial map. This shows the bridge as comprising a stone-built, three-arch bridge with cutwaters, abutments and a parapet. Logan’s map in 1818 refers to the bridge as ‘Balls Bridge’. In the mid-19th century Balls Bridge was replaced by a bascule bridge which swung open to one side, and was made from timber with a steel frame. It was hand operated, and when opened it allowed boat traffic to move up and down the canal. In 1954 the swivel bridges were found to be in a dangerous condition and were replaced by fixed concrete bridges but using the abutments from the Eglinton scheme works.

3 Gort na Rí, Athenry, Co. Galway