2026:126 - Ballyleague, Roscommon

A planning application for a residential development resulted in the issue of an RFI by the planning authority. The RFI included a number of items, of which one, No. 9, related to Archaeological Heritage; in summary, it was requested that the development be the subjected to an Archaeological Impact Assessment, to include programmes of Geophysical Survey and Archaeological Testing.

The site, which is rectangular in plan, is located on the northern side of the N63 road and in the centre of the village; it has a stated area of 0.61 ha. There are no previously identified archaeological monuments located within the extent of the development site and no surface features of potential interest were noted by a cartographic research, a review of aerial photography/satellite/LiDAR imagery or by a surface reconnaissance survey. A review of OS Historic Maps indicates that the southern area of the site was previously formed by two residential plots, with a well indicated in the central-eastern area.

The eastern extent of the site is located within the RMP Zone established for a Castle – tower house (SMR No: RO037-004); the western arc of the SMR ZoN terminates along the eastern site boundary.

The required geophysical survey of the site was undertaken by Ger Dowling (Licence No: 26R0098). The investigation, comprising high-resolution magnetometer (fluxgate gradiometer) survey, was focused on an area of approximately 0.6 hectares. In summary, it did not identify any features of obvious archaeological significance but did detect several potential archaeological features, in addition to anomalies of modern origin; these included an amorphous area of magnetic variation at the northern end of the site which was considered to possibly represent a spread of burnt material, buried modern debris and/or natural soil variations; equal uncertainty surrounded the nature and significance of a short curvilinear anomaly and two ‘pit-type’ responses, which were considered to relate to archaeological or modern (i.e., agricultural) activity or reflect natural variations in the underlying (top)soils. Potential evidence for former land division and/or site drainage was identified, with former historic residential settlement indicated by an extensive spread of buried debris across the southern part of the site.

A programme of site-specific Archaeological Testing was undertaken in part preparation of Archaeological Impact Assessment Report. A total of twelve trenches, of varying lengths and orientations, were excavated across the site, the locations of which were generally reflective of the geophysical anomalies and subject development proposals. No subsurface features of archaeological interest or potential were uncovered and no artefacts of archaeological or historical interest were recovered; it was determined that the geophysical anomalies in the south-eastern quadrant of the site related to construction and subsequent demolition disturbances associated with the former residential developments in this area, together with remains of a former cobbled yard surface; elsewhere, the anomalies were determined to result from subsurface drainage or geological variations.