Archaeology
Mayo County Council has undertaken substantial development projects over the last 30 years which have transformed and modernised the counties roads, water services and general infrastructure.
The impact of this development has necessitated significant archaeological mitigation. Where possible, archaeological remains are avoided with preservation in situ being the preferred option. Occasionally, archaeological sites could not be avoided or were newly identified by advance testing or archaeological monitoring. This has led to numerous archaeological excavations carried out under licence from the National Museum of Ireland and the National Monuments service.
The results of many of these excavations have been made available through various publication, presentations and detailed site reports.
Mayo Library Archaeology
Mayo County Library local history section hosts a page dedicated to archaeology and heritage identified on the county’s roads and water services, infrastructural schemes. The page includes Power Point presentations and reports prepared by MCC Archaeologists.. It is planned to add to this .
Aerial photography has been a component of road design since the 1950’s. Numerous photographs were collected retained by John Clarke (RIP) Chief Technician, MCC, and have been scanned and are available on this page.
TII Digital Heritage Collections
Consideration of archaeology is fully integrated into the TII national road and light rail scheme planning process and is directly managed by the TII Archaeology & Heritage Section. The digital heritage collections of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) make their heritage collections available online through the DRI accessed via the following link. TII Digital Heritage Collections Page
TII Digital Heritage Collections - Mayo National Roads Reports
Wicker trough excavated in advance of the N5 Westpo4rt Turlough Road
The TII Digital Heritage Collection includes full reports on, in excess of, 120, archaeological excavations carried out in advance of roads construction in Mayo. These can be accessed at the following link. DRI Repository
NRA Monograph Series No 6 – The N5 Charlestown Bypass
Of Troughs and Tuyeres: The Archaeology of the N5 Charlestown Bypass – 2010
This Monograph details over 40 archaeological sites excavated as part of the N5 Charlestown Bypass scheme by Mayo Co Co Archaeologists. These include some of the earliest prehistoric sites excavated in Mayo, a large assemblage of flint and chert artefacts, timber fulacht fia troughs preserved in waterlogged peat, hundreds of sherds of neolithic pottery, an unusual tin bead (Unique in an Irish context) and a bronze age cremation with associated decorated pottery.
Early medieval habitation includes two large enclosures with souterrains, house-sites and metal-working workshops. Associated artefacts include bullauns, stone anvils, quern-stones, copper alloy ring-pins, iron knives, nails, buckles and a finely made gold filigree panel, from near Claremorris.
A PDF copy of the full publication is now freely available at the above link to the TII website and the printed volume is available in the reference section of Mayo County Library.
TII/NRA publications (including articles from Mayo)
The following articles can be accessed on the DRI
The excavation of a Children’s Burial Ground at Tonybaun
This Monograph includes a paper by Joanna Nolan (MCC) on ‘The excavation of a Children’s burial ground at Tonybaun, Ballina, Co Mayo in advance of the N26 Ballina to Bohola (Stage 1). Prehistoric stone tools and an Iron Age Furnace were also identified on this site. Settlement, Industry and Ritual – 2006
Prehistory and History on the N5 Charlestown Bypass
This Monograph includes a paper by Richard Gillespie (MCC), Prehistory and History on the N5 Charlestown Bypass, in counties Mayo and Roscommon, which included substantial, newly-identified Neolithic, Bronze-age and Early Medieval sites. New Routes to the Past – 2007
A new dimension to a 19th-century limekiln in Liscromwell, Co. Mayo
Please see the link below to an article on limekilns and a 3D digital model of a limekiln at Liscromwell in County Mayo which was excavated in advance of the N5 Westport to Turlough Road Scheme.
A new dimension to a 19th-century limekiln in Liscromwell, Co. Mayo
Additional Links to Mayo Co Co Archaeology
Links to further publications relating to TII and Mayo County Council Archaeology can be found in the following document
Archaeological Publications Relating to TII and Mayo County Council Archaeology