2020:783 - KILBREE LOWER, 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 (TSA08) at Kilbree Lower townland, Co. Mayo.

The TTSA is located in a green field of improved pasture beside a local road (L4849) to the north of the existing and proposed N5 alignments. There are no recorded monuments within the proposed site boundary. The nearest recorded monument is a burial (MA088-022–) which is located 450m to the south. However, other sites have been located and excavated in the near surroundings of the site. One is a series of pits associated with metalworking and dated to the late medieval period (Kilbree Lower 1) which was excavated to the direct south of the site in 2016. Other nearby sites include a bullaun stone and a burnt spread.

Testing was carried out on 11 June 2020.Twenty-three test trenches were excavated at the site in generally bright and sunny conditions.

In general, the stratigraphy comprised a homogenous mid-brown sandy silty topsoil and sod ranging in depth from 200-250mm overlying a natural yellowish to brown compact clay subsoil with frequent inclusions of medium-sized stones on the more elevated parts of the site to the east, west and south. The lower ground at the centre east and to the north comprised deposits of peat reaching up to 3m in depth in places. Two large roughly north-south aligned modern drainage/ditch features were observed at the eastern and central parts of the site. The ditch at the central part of the site roughly corresponded with the circular trend identified in an electrical resistivity survey.

Nothing of archaeological significance was noted.