County: Mayo Site name: Clare
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 23E0602
Author: Tamlyn McHugh
Site type: Worked wood - possible wooden platform
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 533798m, N 774690m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.717680, -9.002973
The proposed works involve the development of Claremorris Hub, a technology centre for the town of Claremorris. Within the wider vicinity of the development there are recorded monuments and the site is large in scale. Therefore, it was requested by the planning authority that a suitably qualified archaeologist be engaged to conduct an archaeological testing of the proposed development area.
16 linear trenches were excavated at regular intervals across the entire development area where constraints would allow. Material of an archaeological nature was noted in Test Trenches 2 and 3 and comprised blackened soil resembling a burnt spread and a circular pit-like feature. This material will need further investigation to establish the nature of these features and, due to the proximity to the railway station, it is possible that this material may relate to the railway or the period in which the railway was established. In Test Trench 12 was noted a deposit of wood within the peat measuring 10m in length and below 1m of peat. The wood occurred at ITM 533744/774619 and appeared randomly lying in the peat matrix and comprised roots, branches, and large lumps of unworked timber. The pieces of wood appeared to be non-structural and formed no recognizable pattern. Upon removing some of the wood for closer examination it was noted that some of the pieces had worked ends and what appeared to be chop marks from an axe. The three pieces with worked ends (23E0602:2:1/23E0602:2:2/23E0602:2:3) were recovered and are likely to be archaeological in nature. Deposits of wood do not occur in the neighbouring trenches and this does not appear to be laid down in a regular way as would be expected of a trackway or togher, however it may be a wooden platform in which wood was cut or felled and placed down as a surface. The occurrence of crannogs in the neighbouring Mayfield Lough further supports the suggestion that this is an archaeological site.
Due to the occurrence of worked wood in the southern area of the site at it was recommended that this possible archaeological site should be preserved in situ and a zone of constraint should be maintained during any future groundworks in the vicinity of the site.
Cooldrumman Upper, Carney, Co. Sligo
