County: Leitrim Site name: Drumrane, Dromahair
Sites and Monuments Record No.: LE014-023---- Licence number: 21E0317
Author: Fiona Maguire
Site type: Knapping site
Period/Dating: Neolithic (4000BC-2501 BC)
ITM: E 578850m, N 828538m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.205328, -8.324180
Archaeological monitoring of a forestry haul road in the townland of Drumrane, Co. Leitrim was undertaken over a number of days during June and October 2021. The road lies approximately fifty metres south-west of a ringfort/rath (LE014-023----), and on the eastern side of a small valley, with a stream on the valley floor.
Works comprised the removal of trees within the road take and topsoil stripping to formation level.
A scatter of lithic material was identified c. 18m south of the terminus of the road. Located c. 0.35m below ground level, the material was concentrated in an area measuring max. 0.3m north-south x 0.3m, which had been impacted by root growth. An area c. 3m north-south x 3m was cleaned by hand to determine if the scatter was associated with an archaeological feature, but nothing was noted. No further lithic material was identified.
The assemblage, comprising eight fragments of chert debitage or knapping waste, was recovered and subsequently analysed by Dr Conor Brady. Four of the artefacts showed signs of secondary working in the form of retouch on one or more of their edges, and a broad Neolithic date was suggested. Although the find may indicate the presence of archaeological activity in the vicinity, it is likely to represent an incidental or opportunistic knapping location.
A further phase of monitoring under an extension to the original licence took place between 11 and 20 October 2021. No further artefacts or evidence for archaeological features were noted.
The road is now completed and as all groundworks were monitored, no additional archaeological work was required.
Creagh, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
