County: Sligo Site name: Finisklin
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 23E0500
Author: Tamlyn McHugh
Site type: Post-holes
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 567461m, N 836906m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.279911, -8.499654
The proposed development entails the construction of 70 social housing units, along with associated site roads and all associated site development works at Finisklin, Co. Sligo. The overall size of the proposed development area is 3.4 hectares, and it is near to Zone of Archaeological Notification of RMP No.: SL014-056---- Midden, however the exact location of this monument is not known. The proposed development area is also in the vicinity of the 19th-century Rathellen House.
The testing took place on 3-6 of July 2023. All trenches were excavated to the top of the natural substrate, to determine whether subsurface archaeological material was present. The trenches were excavated using a 12-tonne mechanical excavator equipped with a graded bucket 2m wide. The proposed development area comprises two large agricultural fields. There has been no previous development on the property, and it contains no structures.
A total of 16 test trenches of varying lengths and depths were excavated across the area, running north to south. The trenches were excavated parallel with one another and spaced 15m apart. The total area excavated comprised 1711.65m length. The site had a gently undulating topography, which was waterlogged in the northwest area, and is located on a very gentle north-facing rise. All trenches were excavated to 1.7m width. All trenches were excavated to the underlying natural substrate which in most of the trenches comprised a yellowish- orange boulder clay with moderate occurrences of small to medium-sized stones.
Material of an archaeological nature was noted in one of the test trenches – Test Trench 4 in Field 2 at central ITM 567459/836862. An area measuring 6m (north-south) x 10m was widened in the northern end of Test Trench 4 to reveal the further extent of an area of archaeological potential. A series of 12 sub-circular shaped pits (F1-12) were identified. Each featured contained a similar dark soil which appeared to be charcoal-enriched fill. The pits appear to be of similar size and dimensions with an average size of 0.3m (width) x 0.35m (length). The features appear to occur in an arch with two rows of pits 6m (east-west) by 2m forming and inner arc and an outer arc. No other features or objects of an archaeological nature were observed and following recording, the site was covered in geotextile terram which was then covered in a layer of topsoil. The area will be preserved in situ as part of a green area within the housing development.
Cooldrumman Upper, Carney, Co. Sligo
