2020:792 - BALLOOR, Mayo

The author was commissioned by Wills Bros. Ltd. to undertake a programme of archaeological testing of the site of a proposed materials storage area (MSA02) at Balloor townland, County Mayo. The area is located on low-lying farmland in the centre of Balloor townland, 2.3km southeast of Castlebar town centre, and covers 2.46 hectares.

There are no recorded monuments within the proposed site boundary: the nearest recorded monuments are two ringfort-raths (MA078-043 and MA078-054), approximately 500m to the southeast of the area; a further six monuments (five ringforts and one fulacht fiadh) are within 1km of the area. Testing and excavations along the new N5 road corridor found no archaeological features in the immediate vicinity; a hearth dated to the early medieval period was recorded at Lisnakirka or Milebush townland, 730m to the southwest of the area.

Testing was carried out on 2 and 3 December 2020. Sixteen test trenches and 4 test pits were excavated at the site in cloudy and showery conditions.

The easternmost field was extremely waterlogged, and the central part was in flood at the time of testing, despite a significant pumping and draining exercise. The testing strategy was amended to avoid the most waterlogged section. Nonetheless the amended test trenches had a combined length of 1550m and exposed an area of 2952m², giving coverage of 12% of the 2.46-hectare site.

In general, the stratigraphy throughout comprised a homogenous mid-brown sandy silty topsoil and sod ranging in depth from 100mm to 500mm overlying a natural compact, coarse gravel and bedrock at the northern ends of both fields. Towards the south and southwest deep deposits of peat were encountered to a maximum depth of 2m.

Nothing of archaeological significance was noted during testing.