2020:405 - BALLINROBE: Ballinaya, Neale Road, Mayo

Fourteen trenches were excavated during pre-development testing for Mayo County Council prior to the construction of a new graveyard on the southern outskirts of Ballinrobe town. The proposed graveyard covers 2.677ha in three green fields. Features of archaeological potential were uncovered in two of the fields and further test trenches were excavated to determine their nature and extent. A series of linear cuts into subsoil were seen to represent V-shaped slot trenches, 0.4m wide on top x 0.35m deep, filled with a compact clay with frequent specks of charcoal. The longest was uncovered on a north-south axis for 33m and in an east-west direction for 9m. Two shorter slot trenches were also uncovered. Burnt stone and charcoal adjacent to one returned a radiocarbon date of 1422–1263 Cal BC. The other slot trench was associated with a metal-working pit. The poor remains of an oak post were found together with a patch of burning cut into subsoil near the metal-working pit. The post returned a radiocarbon date of 2781–2617 Cal BC. A possible iron tang was recovered from the spoil above the metal-working pit. No other small finds were uncovered. The results of the testing concluded further archaeological mitigation will be required if the development proceeds.