2025:586 - 39 High Street, Magheraboy, Sligo, Sligo

Stage II works (monitoring of the overburden) took place between November 26 and December 3 2024, under licences 24E0021 and 24R0330, which had been transferred to Caroline Cosgrove of ACSU. Concrete covered the site and had to be removed. Spoil was not permitted to be removed from the site, which covered the western third. A gap of a meter had to be maintained from the site perimeter as well. Overburden lay beneath the concrete, consisting of a rubble mix of stone, mortar, red brick and broken concrete. The overburden was removed down to an average depth of 0.4m. The natural subsoil exposed was a yellow boulder clay. No ditch was recorded on site following the removal of the overburden. However, several other features were recorded, comprising eight pits (C100, C102, C105, C106, C107, C108, C109 and C110), a spread of cobbles (C103), two modern square-shaped brick structures (C112 and C113), and two spreads (C104 and C113). C104 was recorded as a spread, but possibly a large pit, as Test Trench 2 reached a depth of over 1.5m in the location of C104.

Pit C100 was sectioned at the western end. It contained two cuts (C100 and C109). Both cuts contained red brick, shell and large concrete fragments. Another large pit (C106) was recorded at the western end of pit C100. This is likely where the possible ditch was identified in testing. It was recommended to resolve by record (excavate) all archaeological features (pits C100, C102, C105, C106, C107, C108, C109 and C110, cobbles (C103) and spreads C104 and C113) that would be impacted by the proposed development. However, where any modern in-situ inclusions (plastic, concrete, etc.) were recorded, it was recommended to resolve the feature by 50% in case it masks earlier features.

Further stripping at the eastern end of the site, which was not stripped of overburden, was recommended to locate the shell midden identified in testing and any other possible features. It was not deemed necessary to strip the overburden beneath the spoil at the western end of the site, as no archaeological features were identified during testing or monitoring of the trial pits; therefore, no further works were recommended for the western end of the site.

Stage III works

A revised method statement was approved by the National Monuments Service, and an excavation was carried out at the end of May 2025. A total of 19 pits (C110, C102, C105, C106, C107, C108, C109, C110, C121 C132, C142, C146, C150, C152, C157, C160, C162, C165 and C167), 1 post-hole (C127), 1 spread of cobbles (C103) and two modern square brick structures (C111 and C112). The finds recovered from the features date from the 18^th to the 19^th centuries, placing all the features in the modern era. All archaeological works are now complete.