2022:092 - GALWAY CITY: Mercy School, Galway

Archaeological testing was carried out at the Mercy School (Scoil an Linbh Íosa), Francis Street, Galway City. The development comprises construction of a new passenger lift shaft to the rear of the school in an area currently used as an external play area.

A single test trench was excavated on the footprint of the proposed development. The trench measured the full extent of the proposed lift shaft (i.e. 3m north-south by 3.5m). No further excavation was required to facilitate the proposed development.

The stratigraphy exposed was rubber matting over concrete paving slabs. The slabs overlay a 300mm deposit of loose fine sand, which in turn overlay a deposit of mixed builders’ rubble, dark brown silty sand with occasional inclusions of animal bone and medium to large angular stones to a maximum depth of 1m. A modern service pipe crossed the trench from south to north.

Nothing of archaeological significance was noted during testing. This area of Galway is depicted as a marshy area on the 1651 Pictorial Map of the city. This was also evident from the trench dug during the testing which comprised relatively modern mixed rubble and fill material.