2018:390 - Mount Street, Claremorris, Mayo

Pre-development testing was carried out at a site to the rear of Mount Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo on 12 January 2018. The proposed development consisted of the construction of an extension to a store, replacement of existing garden tunnels, car parking and a new entrance onto the public road.
A planning application for the proposed development, which was lodged with the local authority, included an application for retention of development works consisting of groundworks which had commenced on the site. Levels had been reduced across the site by 0.3-0.4m and the site had been filled up with quarried stone. A large spoil heap, which measured 43m long, 20m wide and over 2m high, was visible at the southern end of the site.
The development site was located adjacent to a burial groun associated with Claremorris Workhouse which was constructed in 1851 and closed in 1918. The burial ground was also used to bury those who died in a fever hospital located on Mount Street and it was used as a children's burial ground into the 20th century. Pre-development testing in advance of the Claremorris Sewerage Scheme by Richard Gillespie, under Excavation Licence 98E0356, in an adjacent car park on Mount Street revealed one burial. Monitoring of the excavation of a number of engineering site investigation trenches by Bernard Guinan, under Excavation Licence No. 05E1020, in advance of the construction of a link road which runs along the west side of the development site, uncovered five burials.
Mayo County Council requested an archaeological assessment of the works already carried out. The assessment included the removal of the quarried stone from an area at the northern end of the site, closest to the burial ground. No burials were visible in this area where disturbed topsoil and subsoil were in evidence on the surface with plastic, timber, modern pottery sherds and modern glass fragments also visible.
The spoil heap at the southern end of the site was systematically inspected. It yielded 20th-century artefacts, as well as animal bone fragments, clay pipe bowls and stems, modern pottery sherds, modern glass fragments and red bricks. Twelve of the clay pipe bowls recovered were inscribed and dated from the mid nineteenth to the early twentieth century. They included one interesting pipe bowl stamped 'MARSHAL MCMAHON'. This pipe commemorated Maurice McMahon who was created Marshal of France in 1859 and was President of the French Republic from 1873 to 1879. The pipe dated to 1860-1870.
The testing consisted of the excavation (by machine) of four trenches, located to uncover any sub-surface remains of the burial ground. The trenches measured 7.2m, 8.9m, 10.1m and 12m long respectively; 2-2.2m wide and 0.8-1.25m deep. The testing revealed modern fill above natural subsoils. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence. The burial ground did not appear to extend into the proposed development site.

4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, County Mayo