2025:286 - Tuam Solar Farm, Galway

Pre-planning archaeological testing was carried out  over five days from 11 August 2025 on a site which is being considered for a solar farm within the townlands of Barnacurragh, Shantullow and Togher More, c. 4km southeast of Tuam, Co. Galway.

The test trenches were mechanically excavated using a 13-tonne tracked excavator fitted with a 1.8m wide toothless grading bucket under strict archaeological direction. Trenches were principally located to investigate anomalies recorded during the geophysical survey (Licence No. 25R0178) with some trenches extended in order to establish a baseline for the surrounding land. In total, 37 trenches were excavated across the site, ranging in length from 10m to 60m and totalling 1650 linear metres.

The testing confirmed the presence of a large spread of burnt mound material (C18) in T14. The spread, which was originally identified in the geophysical survey, was approximately 7.5m in diameter and comprised a loose dark black-brown sandy clay with frequent inclusions of heat-affected stone. To the west of the burnt mound, a smaller circular feature (C19) was identified. The feature, which could be the remains of trough, measured approximately 2m (east–west) by 1.5m. It consisted of a grey-brown silty sand with occasional inclusions of small stone.

Testing also revealed a series of linear features interpreted as agricultural furrows (T4, T5, T6, T15, T22, T25, T26, T27, T28, T29, T32, T34, T35) and drainage features (T5,
T17, T24). The majority of these features corresponded with linear anomalies and ‘agricultural lines’ indicated on the geophysical survey and there was no evidence from testing that any of these features were of archaeological significance. No dateable finds were recovered from any of the tested features, all of which were exposed at a depth of between 0.2m and 0.4m.

No finds, features or deposits of archaeological interest were identified in any of the other test trenches.