2025:415 - West Port, Ballyshannon, Donegal

Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS) undertook archaeological monitoring of groundworks associated with Uisce Éireann’s Water Network Programme, West Port, Ballyshannon scheme in Co. Donegal.
Archaeological works already undertaken for the scheme include a high-level Cultural Heritage Screening Assessment (CHSA) carried out by AMS in 2024. The CHSA found that the proposed scheme lies in the vicinity of a bridge (DG107-113—-) which is a national monument in the ownership of the Local Authority. Although the proposed route lies outside the Zone of Notification (ZoN) for the National Monument/Recorded Monument, a section of upstanding wall located c.4–5m from the proposed works is considered part of the national monument, as per consultation with the National Monuments Service (NMS). The CHSA found two undesignated archaeological heritage assets located in proximity to the scheme comprising the site of the old road and a well.
The scheme involved the installation of 395m of rehabilitated water mains along the existing road network. The construction technique used involved open-cut trenching. The archaeological monitoring was carried out intermittently between 11 June and 2 September 2025.
No archaeologically significant objects, deposits or feature were found at the western end of the scheme which was monitored under licence 25E0272. All further works in the eastern extent of the scheme were carried out under Ministerial Consent C001435 and registration number E005804.
A post-medieval or modern stone culvert of no archaeological significance was found running north–south across the road within a continuous open-cut trench measuring c.65m long by 0.7m wide and 1.2m deep along the east extent of West Port Road towards the bridge (DG107-113—-). The culvert measured c.1.2m in width by 0.8m in height and was built of rectangular limestone blocks bonded with mortar and covered with capstones. A modern cast-iron pipe was revealed inside the culvert.
Due to the frequency of existing services in this area, all groundworks to the immediate southeast of the existing remains of bridge (DG107-113—-) located at the east end of West Port Road conjoined with East Port Road were carried out by a vacuum excavator. During the excavation frequent loose limestone was noticed within the trenches’ backfill. These were placed aside for further examination, but no evident architectural fragments were identified.
In the east–west section of a trench, measuring 3.2m long by 1.2 wide and 1.2m deep, a section of possible wall running along a north–south orientation was encountered. The limestone wall was revealed approximately 0.65m below road level and comprised cut limestone blocks bonded with compact lime mortar. The average cut limestone ranged in size from 0.35m x 0.2m x 0.15m to 0.4m x 0.18m x 0.12m.
In the north–south section of a trench measuring 10m long in total by 1m wide and 0.9m deep, stone rubble, and a further section of possible bridge wall and arch were encountered in the trench’s east side. Stratigraphy in this part of the scheme consisted of 0.2m of tarmac and/or 0.1m of concrete followed by stone rubble infill and service material made up of 804 hardcore.
The wall and arch were constructed of cut limestone blocks bonded with compact lime mortar as for the foundational wall. These structures had also been cut by the twentieth-century water services. The wall was revealed approximately 0.4m below footpath level, measured 1.5m in length by 0.9m in height. The arch was revealed 1m to the north, situated 0.3m below footpath level. The remains measured 1.5m in length and comprised of seven cut limestone blocks bonded with compact lime mortar. The wall and arch are likely a back part of the bridge’s pier and arch which is present immediately to the east.
The remnants of the bridge (DG107-113—-) recorded during monitoring represent a seventeenth-century multi-arched structure as depicted in the first-edition six-inch OS map (1836). No other archaeological features, deposits or objects were encountered.