2022:616 - Middlequarter, Westquarter, Fawnmore, and Cloonamore, Inishbofin, Galway

Archaeological monitoring of groundworks was undertaken for Uisce Éireann’s Water Network Programme, Inishbofin Water Mains Scheme (WMS), Co. Galway. The monitoring was carried out intermittently between 28 September and 28 November 2022 within the easternmost 140m of the scheme’s middle section which intersected the Zone of Notification for the site of a castle - unclassified (GA009D019----) and in the vicinity of a Cultural Heritage (CH) site (CH04 – lime kiln). Archaeological monitoring was also carried out at the location and 20m either side of five other CH sites (CH01 & CH07 – wells; CH02 – a pound; CH03 – the old Inishbofin Post Office; and CH05 – a culvert).
The Inishbofin WMS was located along the existing local road network to the west, south-southwest and east of Inishbofin village, in the townlands of Westquarter, Fawnmore, Middlequarter and Cloonamore, Inishbofin, Co. Galway. Part of the western section of the scheme ran along coastal roads on the north and south sides of the island; however, the majority of this section was located inland. The scheme’s middle section ran along Low Road, which was located adjacent to Bofin Harbour foreshore and to the southeast of Inishbofin Quay.
The overall groundworks for the Inishbofin scheme consisted of c.1,100m of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) trenching and 700m of open-cut trenching. Archaeological monitoring was carried out on one HDD connection trench and three sections of open-cut trenching.
Intersecting the ZoN of the site of a castle - unclassified (GA009D019----), the easternmost 140m of the scheme’s middle section was excavated and archaeologically monitored with the trench there measuring 0.8m wide and 0.9m deep. It comprised 0.1m of tarmac, overlaying a grey hardcore roadbed 0.2m deep. Under this was some stony clay and beach shingle.
At the western end of the scheme’s middle section (Middlequarter townland) an open-cut trench measuring 50m long, 0.8m wide and 0.7–0.9m deep was excavated. This comprised 0.1m of tarmac, overlaying a grey hardcore roadbed 0.2m deep, under which was beach shingle.
A HDD connection trench was excavated and archaeologically monitored c.7m to the northeast of the site of a well (CH01) in the western section of the scheme (Westquarter townland). The trench measured 3.5m long, 0.8m wide and 1.1m deep. It comprised 0.1m of tarmac, overlaying a grey hardcore roadbed up to 0.3m deep, under which was 0.7m of stony subsoil with some peat.
In the scheme’s eastern section (Cloonamore townland) an open-cut trenching measuring 45m long, 0.8m wide and 0.6–0.8m deep was excavated and monitored. It comprised 0.1m of tarmac, overlaying a grey hardcore gravel 0.2–0.3m deep and a clayey subsoil with occasional large stones.
No potential archaeological objects, features, deposits were noted in any of the areas subjected to monitoring.

Fahy’s Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare