2025:469 - Main Street, Carrowhubbuck South, Enniscrone, Sligo

The test excavation of a site in advance of its development at Main Street, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, was carried out on 24 July 2025. The proposed development consisted of the demolition of a modern building and the construction of two semi-detached dwelling houses. The testing was carried out as part of the planning process and was necessary due to the proximity of the proposed development to a church (RMP No. SL016-019001) and graveyard (RMP No. SL016-019002).

St Valentine’s Church (SL016-019001) dates to the 17th century and is located on the site of an earlier church, ‘Cill Insi’, which was still standing in 1666. The church bell from St Valentine’s church, now in the National Museum of Ireland, is inscribed with the date 1679. The church was damaged during the 1798 rebellion and not used afterwards, although the graveyard was used during the famine. The church and graveyard are completely overgrown and inaccessible.

The testing consisted of the excavation of four trenches, located to best cover the area of the proposed development that was accessible. The trenches measured 22.6m, 45.8m, 14m and 14.6m long respectively; 2-2.2m wide and 0.1-1.15m deep.

The pre-development testing revealed evidence of 20th-century activity associated with the extant building on the site. This included a tarmac driveway and associated modern fills which contained plastic, concrete and reinforced concrete. Elsewhere the testing revealed topsoil above natural subsoil and weathered bedrock. A small number of modern artefacts were recovered. Nothing of archaeological significance was in evidence.