2021:786 - RAHEEN (Athenry By.), Galway

Archaeological monitoring was carried out during ground works for the proposed construction of eight car parking spaces within an existing car park area, eight illuminated vehicle charger points, parking sign posts and supercharger cabinets along with an ESB substation/switch room and all associated development work. Total area of proposed works was 30m². The works were located at Raheen Woods Hotel at the north-eastern edge of GA084-120, a large enclosure, and within the zone of archaeological potential for this monument.

Four areas in total were excavated: the area for the foundations of a switch room at the northern end, a trench on the western side, a trench on the eastern side and a slit trench that ran up the middle of the carpark connecting the switch room to the ESB substation on the road outside the car park. Prior to the ground being broken the entire area was covered by tarmac and was used as a car park for the hotel. There were flower beds around the perimeter of the car park, a concrete kerb divided the carpark and flower beds. c.95% of the kerb and flower beds were left undisturbed and in situ. The layers were consistent throughout, the tarmac and associated substrata that overlaid the entire site had a maximum depth of 0.37m, underneath this there was a grey-brown coloured layer that was made up mostly of grey gravel with a small amount of rock and small inclusions of clay. The maximum depth of this layer was 0.9m and it came down onto a natural gravel/rock layer, in some places the rock had to be broken to achieve the required depth. An isolated small mettled deposit was observed in the southern end of the western trench.

No archaeological finds, features or deposits were observed during the rest of the excavations on this site.