2022:856 - South Galway Flood relief, Cahermore, Galway

Archaeological pre-development test trenching was undertaken over a period of 2 weeks in January and February, 2022.
The test trench in Area 1 was located adjacent to a ringfort (GA122-018----). The excavations for the most part revealed no features and/or finds of archaeological significance. One feature (541965, 706079), a possible post-hole, was revealed at a depth of 0.52m below the sod and topsoil. It was semi-circular in shape, had a dark brown fill with charcoal inclusions, measured 0.32m x 0.35m and appeared to continue into the east baulk of the trench. It was covered with plastic before the trench was backfilled.

In Area 2, at the rear of Thoor Ballylee Castle (GA123-019----), a test pit was monitored. The stratigraphy encountered revealed the sod and topsoil had been cut by a modern drain in the south of the trench, overlying a sandy clay with stones. Excavations revealed cut undressed stones at a depth of 0.86m which may be associated with the construction of the tower house. Water began to the fill the trench at 0.75m. The trench was excavated for a depth of 1.65m, and revealed a grey sand.

In Area 3 a pre-development test trench was excavated in the area of the Burnt Mound (GA123-094----). The Archaeological Survey of Ireland had recorded the site as ‘defined by a well-preserved subcircular mound (diam. 12.8m; H 0.6m) composed of burnt soil and stones’, however the land had since been reclaimed and the site appeared to have been levelled. The archaeological pre-development test excavations revealed that the burnt spread measured a total of 6.5m in length and for a maximum depth of 0.35m. It appeared to have been cut by a drain in the west. Numerous drains/shores were recorded in the west of the trench and fill material. Inclusions of charcoal flecks were retrieved; however due to the size of the flecks, the sample was inadequate for dating purposes. No finds were recorded in the course of the excavations and metal detecting.

The test trench excavated in Area 4 was located c. 9m to the north of Fulacht Fia (GA123-093----). The stratigraphy encountered consisted of the sod overlying the natural bedrock and a grey marl in the east of the trench and a layer of peat in the west of the trench. It was excavated for a maximum depth of 0.85m. No features and/or finds were recorded in the course of the excavations.

Area 5 was located in the south of Gort town, adjacent to George’s Street and parallel to the River. A layer of cobbles was recorded in the centre of the trench excavated in the centre of Area 5. The cobbles are not indicated on any versions of the OSi historic maps. Finds retrieved during the manual trowelling back consisted of 19th/20th-century pottery. The test trench in the south of the site recorded a stone fill which had been brought in for a proposed construction development in 2006.

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