Standing stone

The National Monuments Service's description

Excavation licence number 02E0202. Monitoring was carried out at the IDA Business and Technology Park, Lisnenan, Letterkenny, from 12 to 25 March 2002. Phase 1 of the development comprises the building of distributor roads and services. The site comprised pasture fields with frequent rock outcrops on a south-facing slope overlooking the wide valley of the River Swilly. A flax mill and pond formerly stood slightly to the north-east of the site, but this area is now occupied by a reservoir and pump-house built in the 1970s. Stratigraphy encountered comprised topsoil, a gravelly silt with stone inclusions, overlying a mid-olive to yellow/brown, sandy boulder clay, which in turn overlay schist bedrock. Nothing of archaeological significance was noted during the monitoring. However, a rounded upright stone, 0.8m high, was observed at the north-eastern edge of the site. This may be a prehistoric standing stone or a modern scratching stone for livestock. It will not be affected by Phase 1 of the works but would be by future phases of the development. (Excavations Bulletin 2002)
Tom Rogers, Moore Ltd, Unit 6, Riveroaks, Claregalway, Co. Galway.