County: Donegal Site name: The Diamond, Lifford
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DG071-008 Licence number: 17E0598
Author: Richard Crumlish
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 633495m, N 898486m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.833130, -7.478657
Monitoring of groundworks at a development at The Old Courthouse in Lifford, Co. Donegal, was carried out on 6-7 December 2017 and 21 June 2018. The project included construction of an extension to the rear of the courthouse and a universal access ramp to the side of the building. The monitoring was a recommendation of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Heritage Review Panel of LEADER. The development site was located within the constraint for the historic town of Lifford (DG071-008). The Old Courthouse in Lifford was constructed c. 1746 and altered c. 1839 and again in 1868. The building is a Protected Structure, was renovated c. 1985 and is now in use as a museum/visitor centre.
The groundworks were located in two areas of the site. The first area was located to the rear of the building and was the site of a former kitchen which was removed in 2008. The second area was tarred and located adjacent to the north-west end of the north-east side of the building.
The first area excavated measured 7.0-9.5m north-west/south-east by 6.2m and 0.45-1.1m deep. The material uncovered was evidence of modern activity at the site. A tiled floor, concrete slab, enclosing walls and square red brick feature uncovered were all part of the recently demolished kitchen. Topsoil, paving slabs, sand and fill, which were uncovered, were only in place since the demolition in 2008.
Concrete was found near the surface along the walls of the Courthouse building. A large number of modern services were revealed in the area excavated. The foundations of the Courthouse building were also exposed. At the base of the stratigraphy was natural subsoil in the form of orange/grey/brown loose sand and gravel.
The second area excavated measured 8.4m north-west/south-east, 3.0-4.65m wide and 0.1-0.2m deep. Within the area three trenches were excavated, to a depth of 0.2-0.5m, for a kerb and foundations for two low walls. The stratigraphy uncovered was tarmac, above a disturbed layer, above natural subsoil. The disturbed layer contained modern artefacts and a number of modern services. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence.
4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo F31 T213.
