2019:417 - Garryduff, Mayo

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Mayo Site name: Garryduff

Sites and Monuments Record No.: None Licence number: 19E0560

Author: Dominic Delany

Site type: No archaeological significance

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 514282m, N 790973m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.861126, -9.303096

Pre-development testing was carried out on the site of a proposed residential development at Garryduff, Castlebar from 11-17 September 2019. The development site is located immediately south-east of the area of the archaeological constraint for MA078-002 (Ringfort – rath). This ringfort is prominently sited on the highest point of a drumlin ridge, which extends north-east/south-west across the green field site to the north-west of the development site. The site was already partly developed with access roads and services associated with the adjoining ‘Glen Fort’ estate on the west, and a culverted stream is known to extend north-east/south-west through the centre of the site. Testing was concentrated in the undeveloped north and east of the site, which were overgrown with scrub vegetation.
Following scrub clearance five test trenches were opened on the footprint of the development. Testing revealed evidence of extensive recent ground disturbance across the site. The results of testing indicate that until recently much of the development site consisted of low-lying ground on the east bank of a small stream which flowed north-east/south-west along the base of the prominent glacial ridge located to the north-west of the site. In the late 1990s the ‘Glen Fort’ estate was built on the south-east slope of the ridge, the stream was culverted and the low-lying parts of the development site were raised, most likely using excavated material from the ‘Glen Fort’ development. In the lowest lying areas, through the centre of the development site, testing revealed 1-1.5m of fill over a 0.4-0.8m of grey clayey silt, a deposit which likely accumulated here as a result of periodic flooding of the land. The ground levels rise to the east and west, where a thin topsoil layer seals well-drained sandy subsoil and natural sands and gravel deposits. No archaeological material was uncovered during testing.

Dominic Delany & Associates, Creganna, Oranmore, Co. Galway