Archaeological, Ecological & Structural Survey of Cargin Church
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Archaeological, Ecological & Structural Survey of Cargin Church, County Galway On behalf of Cargin Cemetery Committee Moore Archaeological & Environmental Services Ltd. Job Reference G44 Authors: Sarah Halpin, Conor Kretsch, Brian Keeley, Colmcille Ó Monacháin & Declan Moore TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 SCOPE OF WORKS...........................................................................................1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................1 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECT......................................................................2 2.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE ...............................................................................................2 2.2 LOCATIONAL DETAILS ......................................................................................................2 2.3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT..........................................................................................2 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT.............................................3 3.1 SOLID GEOLOGY.............................................................................................................3 3.2 SOIL TYPE.....................................................................................................................3 4 ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF NORTH GALWAY..............4 4.1 MESOLITHIC PERIOD .......................................................................................................4 4.2 NEOLITHIC PERIOD .........................................................................................................4 4.3 THE BRONZE AGE ...........................................................................................................5 4.4 THE IRON AGE/EARLY HISTORIC PERIOD.............................................................................6 4.5 LATER HISTORIC PERIOD..................................................................................................6 5 BASELINE DATA............................................................................................10 5.1 RECORD OF MONUMENTS AND PLACES................................................................................10 5.2 THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND TOPOGRAPHICAL FILES..................................................13 5.3 PREVIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDWORK IN THE AREA ..........................................................13 5.4 CARTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE ...............................................................................................14 6 ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SURVEY OF CARGIN CEMETERY.................17 6.1 SITE DESCRIPTION.........................................................................................................17 6.2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF CARGIN CHURCH & CEMETERY .....................17 6.3 DISCUSSION OF DATING..................................................................................................24 6.4 RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................................................................................27 6.4.1 Short Term.........................................................................................................27 6.4.2 Long Term..........................................................................................................28 7 AN ECOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF CARGIN CHURCH & GRAVEYARD SITE........29 7.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................29 7.2 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING HABITATS................................................................................30 7.2.1 Amenity Grassland..............................................................................................30 7.2.2 Stone Walls and Other Stonework.......................................................................31 7.2.3 Scrub..................................................................................................................32 7.3 BIRDS AND MAMMALS.....................................................................................................33 7.4 REPORT ON THE BAT SURVEY OF CARGIN CEMETERY.............................................................33 7.4.1 Determining the Bat Fauna of Cargin..................................................................34 7.4.2 The bat fauna of Cargin and roost potential........................................................36 7.5 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ECOLOGY OF CARGIN CEMETERY .............................................37 7.6 RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................................................................................38 7.6.1 General Recommendations..................................................................................38 7.6.2 Recommendations for Bats at Cargin..................................................................40 8 STRUCTURAL SURVEY & PROPOSALS FOR CONSERVATION OF THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH REMAINS AT CARGIN, HEADFORD, CO. GALWAY....................................45 8.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................45 8.2 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING STRUCTURE..............................................................................45 8.3 PROPOSALS FOR CONSERVATION.......................................................................................46 8.3.1 Immediate and short-term work..........................................................................46 8.3.2 Long-term work..................................................................................................49 8.4 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................52 9 RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................................................53 9.1 ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CONSERVATION .................................................................................53 9.1.1 Immediate..........................................................................................................53 9.1.2 Short Term.........................................................................................................53 9.1.3 Long Term..........................................................................................................54 9.2 ECOLOGICAL.................................................................................................................55 10 BIBLIOGRAPHY.........................................................................................57 11 OTHER SOURCES REFERENCED..................................................................58 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1: Extract from OS Discovery Series, sheet 45. Scale 1:50,000........................1 Figure 2: View SSW from church showing Castle on shore of Lough Corrib...................8 Figure 3: View of Lynch-Staunton Crypt from west...............................................8 Figure 4: View of crypt entrance on opening......................................................9 Figure 5: Extract from County Galway RMP sheet 55, showing site of interest RMP GA055- 027. (Based on 3rd edition 6-inch map)......................................................13 Figure 6: Extract from Down Survey Map with Cargin townland highlighted in red.........14 Figure 7: Extract from sheet 55, First Edition (1841) six-inch Ordnance Survey map (not to scale)............................................................................................15 Figure 8: Extract from sheet 55, second edition (1901) six-inch Ordnance Survey map (not to scale)............................................................................................15 Figure 9: Extract from sheet 55-7, third edition (1920) 25-inch Ordnance Survey map (not to scale)............................................................................................16 Figure 10: Examples of two grave uprights dating from 1817 & 1836 in Cargin graveyard. ......................................................................................................18 Figure 11: View of Church from south.............................................................19 Figure 12: View of south elevation of church.....................................................19 Figure 13: View of north elevation of church.....................................................20 Figure 14: View of South door of Church, from south and north..............................21 Figure 15: View of curving upper section of the left hand side of the south window showing embrasure splaying inwards..........................................................21 Figure 16: View of base of south window opening...............................................22 Figure 17: View of east elevation of church with single narrow light.........................22 Figure 18: View of west elevation..................................................................23 Figure 19: View of carved head located on southeast corner of ruined church.............23 Figure 20: Plans of Early Christian ecclesiastical enclosures: 67. Church Island, Co. Kerry; 68. Reask, Co. Kerry; 69. Inishmurray, Co. Sligo; 70. Caherdrine, Co. Limerick, 71. Glencolumbkille, Co. Clare; 72. Kiltiernan, Co. Galway; 73. Templemore, Co. Clare; 74. Cloncagh, Co. Clare; 75. Tulla, Co. Clare; 76. Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly; 77. Nendrum, Co. Down; 78. Inishglora, Co. Mayo; 79. Kilmacduagh,