County: Mayo Site name: Ballynacarragh
Sites and Monuments Record No.: None Licence number: 17E0028
Author: Richard Crumlish
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 522704m, N 758223m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.568206, -9.166922
Monitoring of groundworks at a site, in advance of its use as a quarry, in Ballynacarragh townland, Co. Mayo, was carried out on 19 January 2017. The monitoring was a condition of planning permission granted by An Bord Pleanala. The proposed quarry extension was located to the north-west of a quarry in a field of undulating pasture approximately 3km west-south-west of Kilmaine village. The site of an enclosure (MA121-057) was a short distance to the south-east within the existing quarry.
The groundworks consisted of the stripping of topsoil in an area which measured 33.5-39m north-west/south-east by 25-29m. The area was reduced by 0.15-0.7m. Below the topsoil was orange/brown friable silt loam and grey loose sand and gravel. The route of an access road was also stripped, extending north from the northern corner of the main area stripped to meet an existing access road which was located along the north-east boundary of the site. The area stripped for the access road measured 37m long and 6-7m wide. It was reduced by 0.15-0.55m. Below the topsoil was re-deposited subsoil with frequent boulders, orange/brown friable silt loam and grey loose sand and gravel. The stripping of topsoil revealed topsoil above natural subsoils and previously disturbed subsoil. There were no finds. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered.
4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, County Mayo
