2018:923 - Ceannt Station, Galway City, Galway

The development area is located within the zone of archaeological notification for Galway town (GA094-100). There are four sub-constraints within a 200m radius of the site; the closest group consists of a graveyard, bastioned fort, and an Augustinian Friary, c. 0-30m to the south (GA094-099001-3). It is possible that the site of the bastioned fort once extended into the proposed development area

Archaeological monitoring of trial pits and inspection pits was undertaken in November and December 2018.

Organic deposits were identified in four of the trial pits and in one of the boreholes:

Trial Pit 3 encountered a silty clay deposit with oyster shell, charcoal, post-medieval pottery and animal bone inclusions at a depth of 1.6m.

Trial Pit 8 revealed a brown silty clay deposit at a depth of 1.8m, which included seashells, animal bone, charcoal and red-brick.

Trial Pit 11 was reduced to 1.5m in depth where a brown silty clay with oyster shell inclusions was discovered.

Trial Pit 15 revealed a possible railway sleeper at a depth of 1m, beneath which a deposit of made ground was identified to a depth of 1.5m. A possible archaeological layer at 1.5m, consisting of a brown clayey silt with occasional oyster shell inclusions, lay beneath the made ground.

Borehole 16 revealed a large amount of post-medieval and modern dumping and a brown silty clay with oyster shell inclusions was identified at a depth of 3.6m.

Cobbled surfaces were also identified in a number of the investigation pits and foundations and wall footings were also identified in places, including the base of the wall of the protected structure (RPS 10002) on site.

Based on the results of monitoring, it would appear that the deposits identified are of post-medieval date and low archaeological potential. No definite medieval remains were identified. Similarly, no articulated or disarticulated human remains were recorded.

c/o IAC Archaeology, Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow