Report on Archaeological Excavation of Human Remains Road Improvement Works at Creagh Junction, Ballinasloe
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Report on Archaeological Excavation of Human Remains Road improvement works at Creagh Junction, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway Moore Archaeological & Environmental Services Ltd. G04 January 2003 Licence Number 01E1180 (ext.) Planning Number N/a Volume 1 Results of Excavation TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations List of plates List of tables 1. SCOPE OF WORKS .............................................................................................. 1 1.1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 1.2. Purpose of the Project .................................................................................. 2 1.3. Archaeological Excavation ............................................................................. 3 2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT ....................................................................... 4 2.1. Description of the site .................................................................................. 4 2.2. Site Layout/Locational details ......................................................................... 5 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT .......................................................... 6 3.1. Solid Geology.............................................................................................. 6 3.2. Soil Type ................................................................................................... 6 3.3. Landscape ................................................................................................. 6 4. ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ......................................................... 7 4.1. Archaeological background ............................................................................ 7 4.1.1. Archaeological testing ............................................................................ 7 4.1.2. Prehistoric Period ................................................................................. 7 4.1.3. Early Medieval Period ............................................................................. 7 4.2. Historical Background ................................................................................... 8 4.2.1. The growth of the town in Ireland ............................................................. 8 4.2.2. The town of Ballinasloe .......................................................................... 10 4.2.3. Ecclesiastical History ............................................................................. 10 4.2.4. The early history of Ballinasloe ................................................................ 11 4.2.5. Post-medieval Ballinasloe ....................................................................... 12 4.2.6. The Public Asylum ................................................................................ 14 4.2.7. The Connaught Asylum .......................................................................... 14 5. BASELINE DATA ................................................................................................ 16 5.1. Record of Monuments and Places .................................................................... 16 5.2. The National Museum of Ireland Topographical Files ........................................... 23 5.3. Previous Archaeological Fieldwork in the area ................................................... 24 5.4. Aerial Photographs ..................................................................................... 24 5.5. Cartographic Evidence ................................................................................. 25 6. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION ............................................................................ 27 6.1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 27 6.2. Methodology ............................................................................................. 30 6.3. Results of excavation .................................................................................. 30 7. ANIMAL BONE ANALYSIS...................................................................................... 55 8. HAIR SAMPLE AND INSECT ANALYSIS ...................................................................... 55 9. TIMBER ANALYSIS.............................................................................................. 56 10. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 57 List of illustrations Illustration 1 Project location Illustration 2 Project location Illustration 3 Site plan and location of burials Illustration 4 Extract from William Petty’s Atlas Illustration 5 Front elevation of St Brigid’s Hospital, Ballinasloe (from O’Dwyer 1995) Illustration 6 Extract from Galway RMP sheet no 88 Illustration 7 Extract from Taylor and Skinner’s Road Atlas of 1777 Illustration 8 Extract from 1837 1st edition Ordnance Survey map Illustration 9 Northern group of burials Illustration 10 Southern group of burials Illustration 11 Profile of subject site and Creagh Church Illustration 12 1880’s Hospital map overlaid on site plan showing test trenches Illustration 13 reproduction of 1880’s map of St Brigid’s Hospital List of plates Plate 1 Looking north east across subject site Plate 2 Looking north across western row of graves Plate 3 Fly larva cases found in hair sample taken from skeleton 2 List of tables Table 1 Locational details Table 2 Age, sex and height estimation of skeletons NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY This report describes the findings from an inhumations were evident on site or in the archaeological excavation carried out at section faces of trenches already dug. Creagh Junction, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. Galway County Council redesigned the The licensee, Declan Moore, and up to proposed development in order to avoid eight assistants carried out the work the known burials. between 14 and 27 August 2002. The work During construction works associated with was undertaken by Moore Archaeological & the road in August 2002, a number of Environmental Services Ltd. (MOORE) on burial cuts and inhumations were exposed behalf of the client, Galway County to the west of the area where the main Council, at the site of road improvement concentration of skeletal remains had works. been observed during earlier testing. The subject site lies between St Brigid’s Following discussion with Dúchas, and Hospital, formerly the Ballinasloe and given the advanced stage of construction District Lunatic Asylum, and the ruined works, full excavation of a strip at the east Creagh Church on the eastern side of the side of the road was undertaken. Athleague road, in an area that was The work was carried out in order to formerly part of the hospital grounds. establish the extent of the remains, to During initial groundworks in 2001, human remove all remains directly affected by skeletal remains were uncovered and as a construction and to carry out scientific result, an archaeological desktop analysis on the remains excavated. assessment and a programme of archaeological testing was carried out by Twelve skeletons in varying states of MOORE. A total of 71 grave cuts were preservation were excavated and observed and a further 21 possible recorded. G04, Creagh Junction, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway January 2003 1. SCOPE OF WORKS 1.1. Introduction This report describes the findings from archaeological excavation carried out at Creagh Junction, Ballinasloe, County Galway. The author and up to eight assistants carried out the work between 14 and 27 August 2002. The work was undertaken by Moore Archaeological & Environmental Services Ltd. (MOORE) on behalf of the client, Galway County Council, at the site of road improvement works at the subject site. Specialist reports are presented in Volume 2. Twelve skeletons in varying states of preservation were excavated and recorded at the eastern side of the development site (Illustration 2). Derry Belfast Sligo Ballinasloe Galway Dublin Kilkenny Limerick Waterford Cork Moore Ltd Archaeological and Environmental Services Creagh Junction, Ballinasloe, Co, Galway 06.01.2003 Illustration 1 Project Location MOORE Ltd. page 1 G04, Creagh Junction, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway January 2003 1.2. Purpose of the Project The proposed development entails improvement of the junction between the R357 Ballinasloe–Athleague road and the N6, Galway to Dublin road. The site lies within the grounds of St Brigid’s Hospital, Ballinasloe, formerly the Ballinasloe and District Lunatic Asylum. Bu now e ay n ilw Ra 7 5 3 R Ballinasloe Creagh Junction N6 N6 Ri ve r Su ck G r a n d C a n a l Moore Ltd Archaeological and Environmental Services Creagh Junction, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway 06.01.03 Illustration 2 Project location During associated groundworks carried out by Galway County Council in early October 2001, human skeletal remains were unearthed in a lawned area at the south-eastern corner of the hospital grounds. An archaeological assessment and archaeological test trenching was undertaken by Moore Ltd. Substantial archaeological deposits in the form of primarily east/west aligned burial cuts were observed in the south-east of the subject site. It was recommended that the burial site be preserved in situ and that no building work proceed in its immediate vicinity. It was further recommended and agreed with Dúchas, the Heritage Service, that any development work carried out in the remainder of the subject site be monitored by an archaeologist under licence