2020:242 - College Road, Townparks, Ballyshannon, Donegal

Archaeological site investigations were carried out in 2017 by Fadó Archaeology at Ballyshannon Co. Donegal in advance of a development entailing the construction of an extension to the Community Nursing Unit at Sheil Hospital. A potential archaeological feature was noted in the north-western area of the site in Test Trench 3. This consisted of a large sub-rectangular boulder orientated north-south, and several smaller stones were visible in a void below the boulder. The full extent and nature of this stone feature could not be ascertained until further archaeological investigation was undertaken in August 2020.
Full excavation revealed extensive archaeological features and deposits below the community allotment gardens (which were added to the development area in 2020), in an area to the south of the St Catherine's Convent of Mercy in the former gardens associated with the convent. No features of an archaeological nature were present in the early Ordnance Survey Maps, the first edition c. 1837 shows the excavation area as a featureless field extending southwards towards the northern bank of the Erne River. The second edition c.1900 indicates that the site is mature garden with tree-lined paths.
A total area of 40m (north-south) by 23m was mechanically stripped of the overlying topsoil and subsoil. The overburden across the site varied, but was on average up to 1m in depth. The site sloped gently from north to south and is positioned on a relatively flat plateau overlooking the Erne River. The site was bounded by the path of the former allotment gardens to the west, the raised parking area for the primary care centre (former convent building) to the north, a former tennis court to the east and a religious statue set on a concrete platform to the south.
During excavation of the boulder feature it became apparent that there were at least 5 cup-marks present on the stone’s upper surface. Excavation revealed that the large stone was a capstone which covered a large re-cut pit containing cairn-like material. Excavation did not reveal any in-situ burial but several prehistoric stone tools in various forms but mainly of flint were found. The immediate area around the capstone was reduced to the underlying substrate revealing four possible kerbstones forming a rough arc to the west and south of the capstone. Following recording, the stones were removed and the area below them excavated. In tandem with this the entire area that had comprised the allotment gardens was reduced to the underlying substrate revealing a considerable number of archaeological features including 16 cremation pits/cremation deposits, a possible pyre/sorting area and a miniature ring ditch 2.85m in diameter containing water-rolled stones in the penannular-shaped slot trench. Within the interior of this ring ditch were two further cremation pits in between which was an inverted urn burial filled with well-preserved cremated bone.

Post-excavation work is ongoing at present.

Cooldrumman Upper, Carney, Co. Sligo