County: Galway Site name: Claregalway Flood Relief Scheme
Sites and Monuments Record No.: GA070-012001, GA070-012002, GA070-109 Licence number: E4248, R0247, C0437
Author: Fintan Walsh
Site type: Nothing of Archaeological Significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 537213m, N 733245m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.345701, -8.942933
Monitoring was undertaken of groundworks associated with the Claregalway Flood Relief Scheme, Co. Galway. The Office of Public Works (OPW) undertook a range of measures designed to relieve the potential for flooding along the Clare River. As part of the Scheme, the existing southern riverbank west of Claregalway Bridge for a distance of c.100–130m was realigned. This part of the riverbank is located close to a medieval church (GA070-012001) and graveyard (GA070-012002), and lies within the Zone of Archaeological Potential for the medieval settlement of Claregalway (GA070-109).
No features/deposits of archaeological or potential archaeological significance were encountered during monitoring. Instead, earlier land reclamation and flood relief works are indicated in many of the excavated areas by a deep stratigraphy of redeposited soils and gravels interspersed with boulders of varying size. The excavated material was metal-detected, but nothing of archaeological interest was identified.
A small collection of human bone was found during the works. This comprises a portion of a human mandible and a single human tooth, both of which were found in disturbed topsoil close to the river’s edge. A previously unrecorded architectural fragment was also identified adjacent to the northern wall of the church (GA070-012001).
c/o AMS, Unit 1, Hector Street Mills, Kilrush, Co. Clare
