%0 Object %T Archaeological excavation report, 04E0017 Sminver 1, County Donegal. %A National Roads Authority; Walsh, Fintan %D 2005-10 %8 %E Irish Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd %I Transport Infrastructure Ireland; National Roads Authority %X Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. (IAC Ltd.), funded by Donegal County Council and the National Roads Authority, completed a 425m² excavation in the townland of Sminver c. 0.25km to the southeast of Ballyshannon in advance of the construction of the proposed 10.5km N15 Bundoran-Ballyshannon Bypass (Figure 1). The excavations were undertaken to ensure all subsoil archaeological remains were preserved by record in advance of groundworks. There were two separate elements to Sminver 1. • Sminver 1a: Burnt mound found during test excavations in 2003. • Sminver 1b: Holy well (RMP site), identified during EIS in 2001. Sminver 1b is recorded in the Record of Monuments and Places as a holy well (RMP No. DG 107/57). The archaeological survey of County Donegal (1983, 306), states, “no trace of this ‘Tobershannon’ now survives. It was situated in wet boggy land S of the Erne.” The location of the feature was “rediscovered” during the EIS for the N15 Bundoran-Ballyshannon Bypass in 2001. A previously unknown burnt mound (Sminver 1a; Figure 4) was also discovered 12m east of the well during a test-trenching programme undertaken by IAC Ltd. in July 2003 (Licence 03E1019). Resolution excavation was completed in January 2004 (Licence 04E0017) with a maximum staff level of 4, directed by Fintan Walsh. The ‘holy well’ (Sminver 1b) and it’s immediate environs is due to be preserved in situ. This was facilitated by a slight change in the road design in this area by the NRA and Donegal County Council to allow for the open preservation of the feature. Hence the feature was exposed and cleaned back and recorded. The burnt mound (Sminver 1a) has been preserved by record through full excavation. %G en %9 Text %W Digital Repository of Ireland