County: Mayo Site name: Clare, Claremorris
Sites and Monuments Record No.: MS101-099 Licence number: 23E0865
Author: Maeve McCormick
Site type: Fulacht fiadh
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 535141m, N 775039m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.720984, -8.982703
Test excavations were undertaken on a site at Clare, Claremorris, Co. Mayo in October 2023. In total 29 trenches measuring 1883 linear meters was excavated between 13 and 23 of October in continuously wet (yellow alerts rainfall warnings and Storm Babet) conditions.
Topsoil and sod (C1) was noted across the entire site measuring 0.1-0.3m deep although it is worth noting the sod changed from grassy to reeds depending on location. To the west of the site (Trenches 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 & 17) this overlay a levelling layer from N17 road construction (from 1996-2000) which comprised a redeposited subsoil, topsoil and debris (0.5-2.5m deep). In places this layer was up to 2.5m deep. A similar layer (C7) was recorded in Trenches 7 & 8 from the construction of the road to the ESB sub-station. Both these layers overlay a buried topsoil, C3, which in turn overlay a bog/turf layer C4.
Additional Trench 10 was placed to locate the known fulacht fiadh (RMP MA101-099). This site was first uncovered in 1995 during works in advance of the N17 construction and was subsequently covered in terram and plastic for protection. It was not located in Trenches 1 and 2 as expected, however the westernmost edge of the site was recorded in Trench 6. Trench 10 was then opened by following the terram and plastic covering the site from Trench 6 to its end to the northeast and south (ITM 535060, 775088). The feature was located on a slight rise in the subsoil. It was left undisturbed with the exception of the area clipped by Trench 6. In this location there was no evidence of fulacht/burnt mound material beneath the terram. The west, northeast and south edges were uncovered in Trench 10 and the feature measured 11m north-south x 10m. The site was reburied under 1m of soil.
Trenches 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16 were located in the east field along a steep hill. They were very shallow and comprised topsoil (C1) with a maximum depth of 0.5m lying directly on subsoil (C5). Three field boundaries, C9, C10 & C11 were noted in these trenches. A patch of in-situ burning, C12, was recorded in Trench 12; subsequent investigation proved this to be a tree bowl with an in-situ burned tree.
A bog/turf layer (C4) was recorded in all trenches (except aforementioned 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), for the most part immediately beneath the topsoil. Exploratory sondages were dug within the trenches across the site in an attempt to find subsoil beneath the bog. In Trench 4 this sondage went to a depth of 4.8m without reaching the bottom. The edges of all the bog trenches were dangerously unstable, collapsing without warning and quickly filling with water. As a result, across the site the trench depths within the boggy areas terminated at 1-1.5m in depth for safety reasons.
The southernmost field was inaccessible due to the heavy rains. Trenches 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 & 29 were not excavated. Attempts were made to excavate Trench 22, but it proved to be extremely unsafe with slumping sides and immediate inundation of water.
Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered during test excavations.
Archer Heritage Planning, Unit 1, Tenure Business Park, Co Louth A92 K2VF
