2025:432 - Cong Road, Headford, Galway
County: Galway
Site name: Cong Road, Headford
Sites and Monuments Record No.: None
Licence number: 25E0323
Author: Richard Crumlish
Author/Organisation Address: 4 Lecka Grove, Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 526319m, N 747462m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.472038, -9.109828
The test excavation of a site in advance of its development at Cong Road, on the northern outskirts of Headford, County Galway, was carried out between 14 and 16 April 2025. The project consisted of the construction of sixty-five residential dwellings and a creche. The testing was undertaken as part of the planning process and was necessary due to the size of the site and the scale of the proposed development.
The proposed development site consisted of a large undulating field of pasture enclosed by dry stone walls on three sides and by a drain on its west side. A 30-35m wide area of the site along its eastern site had been stripped of topsoil and filled with quarried stone. A large spoil heap of the stripped topsoil, which measured over 2m high and 10m wide, was located to the west of the stripped area.
The testing consisted of the excavation of nine trenches, located to best cover the area of the proposed development that was accessible. The test trenches measured 120.8m, 75.5m, 75.2m, 81m, 90.7m, 88m, 79m, 90m and 59.5m long respectively; 2.1-2.9m wide and 0.2-1.1m deep.
The pre-development testing revealed natural undisturbed stratigraphy, i.e. topsoil and peat, above natural subsoils. One modern pottery sherd was recovered from the topsoil. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence.