2021:789 - St Joseph's Place, Garbally Demesne, Ballinasloe, Galway

Small-scale archaeological excavation was carried out within the area of GA087-083 Church & GA087-083001 Graveyard in advance of works for the upgrade of water services within a residential housing development at St Joseph’s Place, Garbally Demesne, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.  This site was previously destroyed and levelled during the construction of housing development at St Joseph’s Place in the 1950s.

A significant quantity of in situ and disarticulated human remains were identified beneath road surface around the north-east area of the central green in St Joseph’s during advance archaeological testing (Licence 11E0242 ext.) As a result, design of the pipeline was altered to avoid the main areas where human remains were identified. The area of excavation under the current licence was focused on a narrow laneway within the north-east area of St Joseph’s Place to the rear of House Nos 29-33. Archaeological material was encountered at the rear of House No. 33. Archaeological deposits then extended from this location to the northern end of the laneway for a distance of c.35m. Trench excavation was 1.2m in width x 0.5-1.4m in depth. Human remains (20 small fragments with a weight of 60.4g in total) were recorded in very small scattered quantities during excavation and dated to 1480 +/-30BP or Cal. 530-650AD, placing the site within the early medieval period.
This is in keeping with some of the artefacts recovered by museum staff in the 1950s. The concentration of human remains is far less in this area than findings from testing around the north-east area of central green.
A total of 3.9kg of animal bone was collected during excavation. A wide range of species (13 in total) were identified, including both domestic and wild animals. The assemblage represents butchery and food waste, reflecting a diet of beef, mutton and pork augmented by occasional venison and small game. The evidence indicates that the non-food domesticates (horse, dog, and cat) were also present at the site. The presence of mainly animal bone within this area indicates it is more likely to be at the edge of the cemetery site; food waste was usually disposed of around the edges or within enclosing ditches of early medieval settlement and cemetery sites.
A modern storm-water pipe was evident at a depth of c.0.6m below present ground level along the eastern side of the trench at northern end. It was apparent this had caused further disturbance. Very few artefacts were recovered. A single coin dated from 1689 was recovered from upper fill, C18; this coin can be clearly identified as King James gun money of sixpence. The presence of this coin may indicate possible links between this site and the nearby Battle of Aughrim, which took place in 1691. A possible chisel point was also recovered; this wedge-shaped iron artefact may have been used for stone carving or metal working in medieval times.