Church in Ballyhanna (ballyshannon Ed)

Medieval church and graveyard (DG017-119002-) that was discovered as the result of an excavation carried out in the townland of Ballyhanna in the town of Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, as part of an archaeological mitigation programme associated with the N15 Bundoran-Ballyshannon bypass. Archaeological excavation was directed by Brian O Donnchada for Irish Archaeological Consultancy (IAC) Ltd. Under excavation licence no. 03E1384. The project was funded by Donegal County Council and the National Roads Authority. The site was discovered during the course of a test trenching exercise undertaken by IAC Ltd. In July 2003 (test excavation licence no. 03E1012-). The site was located in an area primarily used for the growing of silage and which had not been subject to heavy agricultural use recently. The southernmost third of the field is on a raised platform, overlooking the town of Ballyshannon and the River Erne to the NW and W respectively. The field slopes down towards the river valley, the graveyard is located at the base of the hill. The low foundations of a building measuring c. 14m E-W x 7m N-S was uncovered along the edge of the East Port road. The presence of adjacent burials and the structure's E-W orientation suggested it was the remains of a church. While the northern and western walls of the building had been removed through later orad building, the other two walls of the structure were clear. This church appears to represent an early phase of the medieval occupation of the site. The majority of the subsequent burials respected the foundations of the building implying that the building was already standing when these burials were placed in the ground. A test-trench placed inside the church revealed a layer of building collapse. Some 12th/13th century pottery was also uncovered from this test-trench. Medieval pottery was also recovered from the fill of a ditch which ran along the N wall of the church. The above details were derived from the unpublished excavation report by O Donnchada, B. 2006, 'N15 Bundoran to Ballyshannon Bypass, Ballyhanna'. IAC Ltd. Date of upload: 15 October 2014