County: Clare Site name: Ballaghaline
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CL008A-010 Licence number: 15E0145
Author: Michael Lynch
Site type: Prehistoric industrial site
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 506342m, N 696532m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.011290, -9.395677
The monitoring of the clay layer beneath the storm beach at the mouth of the Aille River in
Ballaghaline near Doolin, which has been ongoing since 2014, continued in 2022. This recording of
areas of erosion where concentrations of shale flakes, axe roughouts and hammerstones were
identified led to the excavation from 2015 to 2021 of Trenches 1 to 6 (see Excavations.ie 2015:143;
2017:206; 2018:324; 2019:317; 2020:258; 2021:339). The excavations have shown that the knapping
of shale axe roughouts as well as other tools was carried out across a large area of what is now a
storm beach. This material is similar to that recorded by M. Knowles at the end of the 19th century.
The licenced monitoring and collection of surface finds from the survey area continued during 2022.
As before, this confirmed that the erosion of the clay layer beneath the storm beach is continuous. A
limited amount of surface finds confirmed that archaeological material remains within the clay layer
beneath the storm beach. No area of clay, suitable for excavation, was exposed by the sea during
2022, so no excavation took place.
During 2022, five radiocarbon dates (three provided thanks to funding from the RIA) from previously excavated trenches were obtained. These confirmed activity on the site during the Later Mesolithic period.
The monitoring and the collection of surface finds will continue during 2023 with appropriate
excavation when suitable conditions arise.
Acknowledgements:
Thanks are due to the landowner, Mr. Cyril Nagle, for his permission to access and excavate the site
and to the Burrenbeo Trust Conservation Volunteers for their essential contribution.
Thanks are also due to the NMS and NMI for the extensions of the licence for the excavation,
monitoring and collection of surface finds on the site.
References:
Knowles, M 1901, Kitchen Middens, Co. Clare. Journal of the Limerick Field Club 2, 35-42.
Lynch, M. 2017. The Later Mesolithic on the North-West Coast of Clare. Archaeology Ireland Vol. 31.
No.4.
Leana, Killinaboy, Co. Clare
