County: Galway Site name: Garraun South
Sites and Monuments Record No.: NA Licence number: 22E0328
Author: Declan Moore
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 537344m, N 725311m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.274423, -8.939400
Moore Group was commissioned to complete a cultural heritage impact assessment of the potential impact of a proposed housing development at Garraun South townland, Oranmore, Co. Galway. The assessment, completed in 2021 (Moore, 2021) recommended that a geophysical survey be carried out at the site, followed by archaeological testing. There are no recorded monuments within the confines of the proposed development area (PDA), the nearest monument is a megalith (GA095-044---) located 50m from the nearest point to the proposed development, in the same townland.
A geophysical survey was undertaken by J.M. Leigh Surveys Ltd. under licence no. 22R0020 in March 2022. The survey was conducted within an open area of approximately c.3ha where vegetation and field boundaries had been roughly removed. The ground was uneven and rutted in place and some isolated responses were recorded and may represent archaeological ditched or pit features.
A programme of archaeological testing was subsequently carried out on 13 June 2022.
Eleven test trenches were excavated in a grid pattern 20m apart across the site including areas identified by the geophysical survey as having archaeological potential or identified as having a discernible trend. The trenches were excavated by a backhoe excavator with a 1.9m-wide toothless ditching bucket which removed topsoil to natural subsoil and the excavated ground was assessed for the presence of archaeological features.
The site is bounded on the east by a breeze block wall, and by vernacular stone walls on the remaining sides. Internally the land slopes gradually from north to south with a large outcrop of bedrock at the north end. Trenches 1-5 were orientated roughly east-west, while Trenches 7-11 were excavated roughly north-south. In general, the trenches throughout were excavated to a depth of 200-300mm. Excavation of Trenches 1 and 2 was not possible on the elevated rocky outcrop to the north.
The general stratigraphy exposed was a dark brown silty topsoil over a mid-brown, gravelly natural subsoil with patches of grey sand in parts. Bedrock was observed on the higher ground directly beneath the topsoil and sod.
Investigation of the anomalies identified in the geophysical survey revealed nothing of archaeological significance. A potential feature traversed by test Trench 3 at the northern end of the site comprised an amorphous patch of sandy subsoil and was not archaeological in nature. A potential pit feature traversed by test Trench 4 also comprised a patch of sandy subsoil and was not archaeological in nature.
No features or finds of archaeological significance were noted during testing.
3 Gort na Rí, Athenry, Co. Galway
