County: Donegal Site name: Trimragh 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DG053-028 and DG053-028001 Licence number: 20E0501 (and 20R0183)
Author: JAMES MCKEE
Site type: Burnt spread
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 621220m, N 911219m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.948199, -7.668773
Stage (i)a Standard Test Excavations and Stage (i)h Metal Detection Surveys were undertaken in the townland of Trimragh as part of the Archaeological Consultancy Services Contract of the TEN-T
Priority Route Improvement Project in Donegal. The TEN-T Priority Route Improvement Project is part of the Trans-European Transport Network and comprises the construction of three sections of new road:
Section 1: N15/N13 Ballybofey/Stranorlar Urban Region; Section 2: N56/N30 Letterkenny to Manorcunningham; and Section 3: N14 Manorcunningham to Lifford/Strabane/A5 link. Trimragh, in Section 2, is one of five Testing Areas (TAs) along the preferred route of the TEN-T project which require Stage (i)a Test Excavations and Stage (i)h Metal Detection Survey Services.
In total, 1,466 linerar meteres were test excavated at Trimragh, representing a >12% sample of the greenfield area available for test excavations. These excavations targeted anomalies identified through previous geophysical surveys are the site; these surveys were themselves undertaken to assess RMP site(s) DG053-028 and DG053-028001, one of five known monuments which could be impacted by the scheme.
During the Stage (i)a testing at Trimragh a single site of archaeological significance was found, comprising an isolated burnt spread measuring 4.47m x 1.7m x 0.24m. The spread is typical of burnt mound material being a mix of burnt stone and charcoal-rich soil; no artefacts were recovered from a sondage placed through the spread.
No archaeologically significant artefacts were uncovered during Stage (i)h Metal Detection surveys, with the exception of one copper alloy halfpenny coin.
The site at Trimragh will be adversely impacted upon by the proposed route corridor for the TEN-T road scheme, resulting in the removal of the archaeological site. As such, the site was recommended for full excavation and ‘preservation by record’ if the archaeological feature cannot be avoided by the proposed development.
c/o Archaeological Management Solutions Ltd, Fahy’s Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare
