2024:622 - STROKESTOWN: Cloonslanor, Lisroyne, Roscommon

Uisce Éireann’s Water Network Programme Strokestown scheme is located in Cloonslanor and Lisroyne townlands in Co. Roscommon. The scheme involved the installation of c.1327m of new water mains along the existing roads (N5, Lisroyne, Church Street and Bawn Street). The installation techniques used were horizontal directional drilling and open-cut trenching.

The monitoring followed a high-level Cultural Heritage Screening Assessment (CHSA) undertaken for the scheme by Archaeological Management Solutions. The CHSA found that the proposed scheme does not impact the Zones of Notification for any Recorded Monuments or sites listed on the Sites and Monuments Record. The scheme does traverse the Zone of Archaeological Potential for RO029-012—- (architectural fragment) which is located in Strokestown Heritage Centre in Saint John’s Church (RPS 02900144 / NIAH 31811003). The architectural fragment is a rectangular limestone block (0.44m x 0.32m x 0.25m) with a carved face at one end, which was amongst loose stonework at the church (RO028-108001-) in Killukin townland. The Killukin church is located 5km to southwest of Strokestown.

The CHSA proposed monitoring as a precaution in proximity to the Scramoge River/townland boundary and to the east of Cloonfree Bridge due to potential for archaeological remains to be present at these locations.

Excavation of one access pit in proximity to the Scramoge River/townland boundary was monitored on 4 November 2024.

No potential archaeological objects, features, deposits or human remains were found during the monitoring. The only feature revealed was a potential modern stone road surface in the vicinity of Cloonfree Bridge.