2023:184 - Clar Road, Donegal Town, Donegal

The Clar Road, Donegal town, Co. Donegal scheme forms part of a larger nationwide Water Network Programme that is being undertaken by Uisce Éireann. The Clar Road scheme involved the installation of 752m of new water mains along existing road (including associated assets, fittings and transfer of service connections). The groundworks for the Clar Road scheme consisted of a series of trial holes and a continuous open-cut trench method located along the unnamed roads.
The proposed works did not affect any recorded archaeological sites. The archaeological monitoring was carried out as a precaution within two areas of archaeological potential, in the western end of the scheme totalling 280m relating to the former workhouse (RPS 40909405/NIAH 40843032) and the Drumlonagher Mill (NIAH 40843033), as well as the Drumonny River and a kiln site; and in the eastern end at the location of a spring, totalling 40m.
Four trial holes (TH6–TH9) located in the western end of the scheme were excavated on a footpath along the northern side of the road to locate existing services. THs measured from 1.3–2m by 1–1.4m by 1–1.3m in depth. In TH7, the south-east facing elevation of Common Bridge was exposed and photographed.
A section of open-cut trenching measuring 280m x 0.7m and 1.2m in depth, was excavated in the in the western end of the scheme. Outside the former workhouse (RPS 40909405/NIAH 40843032), at a depth of 0.5m below ground level (BGL), underlying the existing road surface, a potential previous road surface built with kerbstones was identified. It measured 2.9m in length by 0.38m in width and was disturbed by previous groundworks. A redeposited kerbstone, which measured 1m long by 0.2m wide, and stone rubble, were also revealed. Further to the east, at a depth of 0.6m BGL, underlying the modern road surface, a potential stone structure bounded with mortar and measuring 2.45m in length was identified. It was likely related to the former railway bridge and Historic Donegal Rail line. At a depth of 1m BGL, underlying the modern road surface and gravel, a possible stone road surface relating to Drumlonagher Mill (NIAH 40843033) measuring c.3.35m in length was revealed.
A section of open-cut trenching measuring 40m x 0.7m and 1.2m in depth, was excavated at the eastern end of the scheme. The stratigraphic sequence under the road surface here was all made ground, comprising of 0.3m of tarmac overlying a 0.9m layer of gravel.
No potential archaeological objects, features or deposits were revealed in any of these trenches.