2022:738 - Killarainy 6, Galway

The N59 Moycullen Bypass scheme extends from the townland of Drimcong, c. 1.5 km northwest of Moycullen to the townland of Clydagh c. 2 km to southeast, over a total distance of 4.3 km.

Alongside construction within the project corridor, several additional areas outside the corridor are needed as storage and deposition areas and borrow pits. The author was commissioned by Wills Bros. Ltd. to undertake a programme of archaeological testing of the site of a proposed topsoil storage and extraction area (TSE01) at Killarainy Townland, Co. Galway.

The site at Killarainy is located roughly 0.5 km north of Moycullen. It comprises 3 separate fields with improved pastureland to the south and undulating ground rising to woodland to the north. The proposed TSE has a surface area of 3.1ha. There are no recorded monuments within the proposed site boundary.

A programme of testing for the N59 Moycullen Bypass scheme carried out in 2014 identified six sites of archaeological significance, Killarainy 1–5 and Ballyquirke East 1. Killarainy 1-5 are all located to the immediate south of the TSE within the same landholding.

The site is raised to the north, falling to low-lying improved grassland with patches of waterlogging in the south. At the west part of the site there is a north-south aligned drumlin.

Testing was carried out on 20 and 21 January 2022 using a 20-tonne backhoe wide track excavator with a 2m-wide grading bucket. Testing exposed a previously unrecorded possible archaeological feature (a burnt spread, Killarainy 6) in the southernmost field in an area of low-lying ground at the intersection of test Trenches 2 and 11.

The southernmost field, a wedged-shaped plot, is accessed via the south-east corner. The field was bounded on all sides by a thick hedgerow to the north and west and is separated from the road take by a timber fence. Internally this field sloped gradually from south to north. Thirteen test trenches were excavated in this field. Trenches 1-3 were orientated north-north-west/south-south-east sloping from firm ground in the west to a hollow in the middle and rising gradually to the east, Trenches 4-13 were excavated roughly east-north-east/west-south-west. The northern field comprises undulating ground rising to woodland to the north. Trenches 14-17 were aligned roughly east-west and Trenches 18-22 were aligned roughly north-south. In general, the trenches throughout were excavated to a depth of 200-300mm.

The general stratigraphy exposed was a dark brown silty topsoil over a yellow-brown, gravelly natural subsoil with patches of orange silty sand which may be hand-dug furrow remnants. Bedrock was observed on higher ground directly beneath the topsoil and sod. The stratigraphy in the middle of the southern trench comprised topsoil and sod overlying a mid-brown peaty clay, which in turn overlay the yellow-brown, gravelly natural subsoil.

A possible archaeological feature (Killarainy 6) was identified in the southernmost trench at the intersection in Trench 2 in an area of low-lying dry ground in the immediate vicinity of a waterlogged hollow. Subsequently Trench 11 was moved further east to intersect the feature and identify its extent.

The feature, found directly below the topsoil at a depth of 170mm, was an area measuring roughly 5m east-west x 7m and comprised a charcoal-enriched silty clay with frequent inclusions of heat-shattered stones. A slot trench was excavated through the centre of the spread. The trench measured 5m in length. The spread measured a maximum of 15mm in depth tapering to the edges. No finds were found in association with the spread and there was no evidence of an associated trough.

Following its exposure, the site was photographed, drawn and GPS co-ordinates taken on its outer limits. The site was subsequently covered in a protective sheet of geo-textile and backfilled.

A bulk sample was retained and wet-sieved in order retrieve material suitable for carbon dating. No material suitable for carbon dating was recovered.

In advance of commencement of deposition or extraction of material at the site, archaeological warnings were erected near the location of the site and no construction traffic traversed beyond this point. A 5m buffer was fenced using 3ft sheep fence and posts to demarcate the archaeological site and ensure construction and other traffic could avoid the site. Stockpile batters were sealed with the bucket of an excavator to mitigate against runoff. The maximum stockpile height in proximity of archaeology was 3.5m.

During works a 2.5m grassed buffer was maintained outside the fence to maintain the fence, allow inspections, and mitigate against siltation.

3 Gort na Rí, Athenry, Co. Galway