2025:293 - Umlagh, Donegal

It was proposed upgrade the existing sewer network in the environs of the village of Carrigart in County Donegal under the overall Donegal Towns & Villages – Contract No. 3 Kilmacrennan, Carrigart and Mountcharles Sewage Scheme. The WwTP located at Umlagh, some 1 km southwest of the village of Carrigart, served approximately 27 houses and a separate network. This plant comprised a small septic tank and percolation filter. This plant was significantly overloaded and in poor structural condition. Treated effluent from the WwTP discharged to a local watercourse which flowed into Mulroy Bay. It was proposed to upgrade this plant and its associated pipeline network.
The results from the archaeological monitoring of the gravity-fed pipeline revealed that for the majority of its length, the various episodes of road construction associated with the R245 had significantly scarped the underlying subsoil, with no evidence of any features of archaeological significance.
The footprint of the actual WwTP, an area some 25m square, consisted of a relatively thin layer of topsoil overlying glacial till, with nothing of archaeological significance revealed.
In summary, due to significant scarping associated with various episodes of road construction and maintenance works associated with the R245, allied to the presence of previous services lines, nothing of archaeological interest was noted in the course of the laying of the pipeline elements of the Umlagh project. In addition, nothing of archaeological significance was noted in the monitoring of the Umlagh WwTP.