N5 archaeological survey turns up numerous artefacts

'MOVING Hills' is the very apt title of a video posted online of work being done on the N59 Newport-Westport Road.

 

The video by Tony Fitzgerald shows in graphic detail the work involved in the road project in Westport.

 

Meanwhile, in recent weeks, large scale archaeological testing has been carried out along the route of the new N5 Westport to Turlough Road project, revealing plenty of archaeological sites.

 

It follows a new route that commences on the N59 Newport Road, north of Westport, in Deerpark East. The route advances eastwards along the route of the old railway line and travels north of Westport GAA grounds and the Allergan Pharmaceuticals campus, and crosses the Lodge Road to a new roundabout in the townland of Monamore, with a southern link to the existing N5.

 

The mainline route advances eastwards, passing north of Sheeaun and parallel with and north of the existing N5 until it intersects the existing N5 at Derrylea and continues around the southern fringes of Castlebar town.

 

The Castlebar by-pass section crosses the existing Westport to Manulla Junction railway line at two locations, intersects the N84 and N60, and continues northwards to join the existing N5 to the east of Castlebar in Liscromwell.

 

In keeping with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII, formerly the NRA) procedures, the route was initially geophysically surveyed and then extensively test trenched to identify any previously unrecorded archaeological remains. This was facilitated by landowner agreement and the Mayo National Roads Design Office (MNRDO) acknowledge the goodwill of the affected landowners and thank them for their support.

 

The most recent road project of a similar scale in Mayo, the Charlestown by-pass, identified a rich variety of archaeological remains. Forty fulachta fiadh were excavated on the Charlestown bypass and a similar number have been identified on the route of the N5 Westport to Turlough road project.

 

In addition to the fulachta fiadh, three possible ironworking areas, which may date to the medieval period, and a possible prehistoric cremation pit have been identified by the recent testing. It is planned to return to these newly identified archaeological areas in the springtime of 2016 for full excavation.

 

Artefacts already recovered during this project include some stone tools made of flint and chert, two large sherds of Bronze Age pottery and a clear glass bead.

 

 

Moving Hills N59 Newport-Westport. From Tony FitzGerald on Vimeo.