2023:254 - Abbey Glen, Knockaunglass, Athenry, Galway

Test trenching and a metal detection survey was carried out on the site of a proposed housing development at Abbey Glen, Knockaunglass, Athenry, Co Galway. The site occupies a 0.85ha plot to the south-east of Athenry town. The tested area was a roughly triangular-shaped, scrubby, mid-quality, pasture field, highest in the north-east and sloping down to the south-west. The top of the slope is well drained whereas the bottom of slope is wetter with mature hedges and a water-logged ditch oriented north-east to south-west defining the site boundary at the base. This ditch corresponds with the townland boundary between Knockaunglass and the neighbouring townland of Kingsland South to the south-east. The proposed development site is situated directly adjacent to an existing housing development (Abbey Glen) that lies to the south and west, and additionally the site partly lies with the Zone of Notification (ZON) for Recorded Monument GA084-001, the historic town of Athenry, on its south-eastern edge.

Ten test trenches were excavated, each 1.8m wide, with a total length of 328m. The stratigraphy at the top and side of the slope of the site was typically 0.4-0.8m of mid-brown silty-sand topsoil overlying glacial till (orange sandy clay interspersed with frequent grey fine gravel mottling). At the base of the slope, topsoil was typically thinner, varying from 0.12m to 0.5m, and darker and more peaty in nature, and this overlay pale grey sandy clay with orange mottling and frequently exposed limestone bedrock.

A number of linear features were observed, containing modern refuse and likely representing plough furrows, old field boundaries and drainage works, all relatively modern in nature. No archaeological features, deposits or artefacts were noted in any of the trenches or during a metal detector survey of the site.

TVAS (Ireland) Ltd Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare