2020:765 - AGHADRINAGH, Mayo

The author was commissioned by Wills-BAM Joint Venture to undertake a programme of archaeological testing of the site of a proposed temporary topsoil storage area (TTSA) at Aghadrinagh, Co. Mayo. The TTSA is a green field site of improved pasture. The nearest recorded monuments include MA078-039, classified as a redundant record, the former site of a rifle range butt (215m to the north) and MA078-040, classified as a rath (420m to the east). Closer to the TTSA, seven archaeological sites were recorded at Aghadrinagh during testing for the N5 road scheme, all of them to the east of the area.

The programme of archaeological testing was carried out on 21 May 2020. Two burnt mounds/possible fulachtaí fiadh were observed in Trenches 6 and 7. The sites were located at the northern ends of their respective trenches at the margin with lower-lying wetlands to the north. Both were located on gentle north-facing slopes at the immediate interface between dryland and peaty lowland

A burnt mound/possible fulacht fiadh (CHS 1) measuring roughly 8.5m east-west x 5m was identified in test Trench 6. This trench was extended to the east and west to ascertain the extent of the feature.

Trench 6 was located in the centre of the site and measured 65m in total from north to south. The depth of the trench averaged 300mm. The layers consisted of topsoil and sod (C1) over a natural yellowish compact clay subsoil (C2).

At ITM 513757/ 787735 in the northern end of Trench 6 an area measuring 5m from north to south was noted which comprised of a deposit of fire-reddened and cracked stone within a matrix of burnt and blackened sandy silty clay. No charcoal was immediately visible. Two offset trenches were excavated to establish the extent of this deposit. A western extension measured 6.5m in length and an eastern extension measured 3m in length. The burnt mound measured 8.5m east to west by 5m.

At ITM 513758/787741 in the northern end of Trench 7 an area measuring 8.5m from north to south was noted which comprised of a deposit of fire-reddened and cracked stone within a matrix of burnt and blackened sandy silty clay. No charcoal was immediately visible. Two offset trenches were excavated to establish the extent of this deposit. An eastern extension measured 3m in length and a western extension measured 4.75m in length. The burnt mound measured 5m east to west by 8.5m.

A possible trough was observed located at the eastern side of the burnt area. This presented as a slight hollow measuring roughly 3m from west to east x 1.3m.

Both sites were covered in geotextile, backfilled and preserved in situ. No deposition works were carried out at these locations. A 5m buffer was established and protective fencing erected to demarcate the sites and ensure construction and other traffic could avoid them.