2024:546 - Main Street and Pier Road, Fough East, Oughterard, Galway

The test excavation of a site in advance of its development at Main Street and Pier Road, Oughterard, Co. Galway, was carried out between 12 and 16 September 2024. The project consisted of a mixed housing/commercial development. The testing was necessary due to the size of the site and the scale of the proposed development and was carried out as part of the planning process.

The proposed development site was a large field of pasture located along Pier Road and a small area, which was in use as a car park, along Main Street. There were no recorded monuments within or in the immediate vicinity of the proposed development site.

The testing consisted of the excavation of eleven trenches, located to best cover the area of the proposed development site which was accessible. The trenches measured 36.1m, 36.1m, 46.4m, 67.9m, 81.6m, 120.2m, 87.5m, 53.5m, 50.2m, 49.6m and 14.6m long respectively; 1.8-2.1m wide and 0.15-0.9m deep. The spoil from each trench was inspected for artefacts and surveyed with a metal detector (Detection Device Consent No. 24R0463). One modern metal bucket handle was recovered.

Testing revealed natural undisturbed stratigraphy, i.e. topsoil above natural subsoils and bedrock, in eight of the eleven trenches. Only modern artefacts were recovered from the topsoil and the spoil. Modern surfaces, in the form of tarmac and quarried stone, were found in the trench along Main Street which was in use as a car park.

Two burnt spreads were uncovered. The first measured 2m x 1.35m and consisted of a narrow band of charcoal located around the circumference of a roughly semi-circular shaped feature, which consisted of blackened soil with occasional rocks which did not appear to be heat-shattered. Close inspection of the feature suggested that it may not be of archaeological significance, rather the result of a recent bonfire, perhaps associated with the clearance of scrub. It was recommended that this feature be fully excavated prior to the commencement of any development.

The larger burnt spread extended for 9.4m, at 0.3m below the surface. It consisted of blackened burnt soil, heat-shattered rocks and charcoal. It was deemed to be of archaeological significance, possibly the remains of a fulacht fiadh. Given its location within a proposed green area within the development, it was recommended that the feature could be preserved in situ.