2021:729 - 6 and 8 Rockhill, Cappanaveagh, Galway City, Galway

Archaeological testing took place of two parcels of land (6 and 8 Rockhill) in Salthill in the west of Galway city as part of a planning application for a housing development. The development involves the construction of housing and associated site works.

There is one recorded monument in the area – a ‘Ringfort – unclassified’ (GA094-015) – labelled on historic maps as ‘Cappanaveagh Fort’. The primary grid coordinates for this monument are plotted in the centre of 6 Rockhill and the zone of notification for the monument extends into the plot at 8 Rockhill.

Testing took place in December 2020. The ground within 6 Rockhill has been significantly disturbed, as the result of quarrying and later ground clearance which pushed soil containing modern debris to the west of the site. Granite bedrock was exposed at the eastern end of the site where a circular plug hole was identified, demonstrating stone extraction in the late 19th century; large amounts of modern debris were buried towards the western end of the site. The testing at 8 Rockhill found that topsoil has accumulated in modern times, though here it overlays reddish-yellow sand natural subsoil.

No archaeological features were identified during the testing, and it was concluded that there are no extant traces of the recorded ringfort or any other archaeological features within the proposed development area.

Subsequent archaeological monitoring of topsoil stripping at 6 Rockhill was undertaken on 5 May 2021.

No archaeological features or potential features were observed during the monitoring. The testing and monitoring did not detect any evidence of the recorded ringfort (GA094-015), and it is concluded that this monument was either located elsewhere or that it has been destroyed as part of quarrying and house development activities which have occurred since the late 19th century.

3 Gort na Rí, Athenry, Co. Galway