2020:646 - Murlough, Lifford, Donegal

Stage (i)a Standard Test Excavations and Stage (i)h Metal Detection Surveys were undertaken in the townland of Murlough 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. Murlough, in Section 3, 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 328m linear metres were test excavated at Murlough, representing a >12% sample of the greenfield area available for test excavations. These excavations targeted anomalies identified through previous geophysical and LiDAR surveys of the site; these surveys were themselves undertaken to assess RMP site (DG070-048), one of five known monuments which could be impacted by the scheme.
During archaeological testing at Murlough, no features of archaeological significance were recorded, and anomalies identified during the geophysical survey were largely explained by modern drainage features. No evidence of recorded standing stone (DG070-048), or a pit associated with the stone identified through LiDAR analysis, was found. Stage (i)h Metal Detection surveys also uncovered no archaeologically significant artefacts, although a single flint artefact was recovered from topsoil
during the archaeological testing. As no archaeological features were encountered at Murlough no further archaeological recommendations were made for the site.

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