Agharrow

49 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Agharrow, from 89 m² to 64,563 m² (6.46 ha, 15.95 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 16 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland: DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings; GeoJSON or KML.

No zone of a development plan covers Agharrow in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 10 Oct 2019Conditional

  Development consisting of the construction of a single domestic dwelling, proprietary effluent treatment unit and soil polishing filter on site together with all ancillary works and services

  Permission, 1 home · Sligo County Council, 19423

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Agharrow.

Recorded monuments

• SL005-021 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated at W end of slight E-W ridge, straddling slight SW-facing slope, in pasture. Raised circular area (diam. 13m) enclosed by a bank of earth (Wth 4.8m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 0.95-2.25m). The external height of the bank is greater ESE-W due to the fact that the site is raised to compensate for the underlying natural slope. A break (Wth 1.7m) in the bank at NNE marks the position of the original entrance. A second break (Wth 2.1m) in the bank at SW is modern. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 21 April 2011

• SL005-022001 Church
  Description

  Located on a slight elevation surrounded by damp, lowlying coastal pasture, overlooking a small rocky bay. Inishmurray Island is visible c. 6km offshore to NW. The eroding land-edge cliff face, bordering a cobble beach, is located c. 6-10m N of the church. This ruined, roofless medieval church is rectangular in plan (12.2m ESE−WNW, 5.1m NNE−SSW) with walls of undressed mortared rubble. The E gable (H c. 4.5m; T c. 1m) stands to full height, and contains a single, narrow light (ext. Wth 0.2m) with a broadly slayed internal embrasure (Wth c. 1m). The other three walls are reduced to a few courses only (max. H c. 1m). There is a record of a recess (Wth c. 0.55; H c. 0.43m; D 0.43m) at the E end of the S wall (Wakeman, 1893; OPW topographical Files). A rubble-filled gap towards the W end of the S wall is a possible location for a doorway. Stone rubble is strewn through the interior and surrounds the exterior. A possible graveyard (SL005-022005-) is located immediately to E of the church, and low banks, c. 30m to E and S of the church, may represent an outer enclosure (SL005-022007-) or boundary to the settlement. The church is named ‘Staad Abbey’on the 1837 and 1912 OS maps, and is known as ‘Teampull’ in local tradition. It is late medieval in date, but may have been built to replace an earlier church: Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 405) suggest that there was an early Christian monastic settlement here, its foundation attributed to St. Molaise of Inishmurray. Though no remains of an explicitly ecclesiastical nature have been found to confirm this, the presence of a souterrain (SL005-022002-) a few meters to NW of the church, and the excavated remnants of a house (SL005-022009-) points to a phase of early medieval settlement. A substantial midden (SL005-022004-), located immediately to N of the church, also indicates a long period of settlement at the site. The upper levels of the midden, radiocarbon dated to between the 15th-17th centuries, are likely to be contemporary with the use of the present church. A limekiln (SL005-022008-), located c. 10m to N of the church, may have been used to produce the lime mortar used in the church’s construction (McCormick and O’Sullivan et al. 2000, 27). A strong link to Inishmurray Island is preserved in local tradition: This sees Staad serving as a staging post for monks, pilgrims and other travellers en route to the monastic settlement (SL001-001001-) on Inishmurray. The church has also been postulated as a candidate for a church at which Captain de Cuellar, a survivor of a Spanish Armada ship wrecked at Streedagh, sought refuge; however, this has not been confirmed. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 4 July 2017

• SL005-022002 Souterrain
  Description

  Located immediately to NW of Staad Abbey (SL005-022001-), in an area of lowlying coastal pasture, bordering a cobble beach. In 1999 this stone-built souterrain was noted eroding out of the section face of the land-edge cliff (H c. 2m) bordering the cobble beach. In 2000 it was recorded and partly excavated (Licence no.: 00E0235) (McCormick et al. 2000, 18-19, 25). The remains consisted of two walls (H 1.8m) of drystone construction set 0.7m apart, defining a passage or chamber that extended roughly NNW−SSE. No roof was evident. An iron blade and a chert flake were found on the compact earthen floor. Layers of redeposited midden material (SL005-022004-) filled the space between the walls. This suggested that the souterrain went out of use and was deliberately backfilled; the roof may have been dismantled at this stage. It is likely that a ‘stone-lined drain’ noted in the eroding cliff face in 1993 was also part of the souterrain, perhaps the remains of a creep, but this was already lost to erosion by the time of the investigations in 2000 (McCormick, F. and Bently, B. 1994, 2; McCormick et al. 2000, 19). A sample of cow bone retrieved from the lowest fill of the souterrain produced a calibrated radiocarbon date of AD 1010-1155 (UB-4575, at one standard deviation) (McCormick and O’Sullivan et al. 2000, 20). The souterrain points to a phase of early medieval settlement pre-dating the construction of the present late medieval church (SL005-022001-); McCormick and O’Sullivan et al. (2000, 20) postulate that the deliberate backfilling of the souterrain in the 11th or 12th century may have happened at a time of reorganisation of the site in preparation for the building of the present church. Coastal erosion appears to have destroyed the last remnants of the souterrain; a shallow C-shaped indentation in the cliff-edge marks the location. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 3 July 2017

• SL005-022004 Midden
  Description

  Exposed in section in the low, eroding cliff face (H c. 2m), bordering the shoreline, c. 10m N of Staad Abbey church (SL005-022001-). The midden is visible in the cliff face as a shell-rich layer (H 0.5-0.6m), extending for a length of 40-50m from a point c. 10m E of the church to a point c. 20m W of the church. It appears as a dense concentration of limpet shells, and periwinkles shells, with lesser quantities of cockle, mussel and crab shells, as well as animal, bird and fish bones. This food waste debris is enveloped in a matrix of dark-grey, sandy soil, flecked in parts with charcoal, and mixed with small and medium-sized stones, both rounded and angular in form, and including stones with a heat-shattered appearance. Although recorded here as a single monument, archaeological recording and sampling of the midden in 1993 and 2000 has shown that the midden is, in fact, a complex series of successive layers, incorporating a suite of features such as pits, possible hearths, walls, a souterrain (SL005-022002-) and a lime kiln (SL005-022008-) (McCormick and Bently 1994; McCormick et al. 2000). Analysis of samples taken from the midden has confirmed that the most common shell fish exploited were limpets and periwinkles, that the animal bones included cattle, sheep/goat, pig, horse and seal, and the fish bones included ballan wrasse, herring, hake and salmon and scad. Barley, oat, wheat and flax seeds, as well as hazel nut shells, were also recovered. (McCormick and Bently 1994, 2-7; McCormick and O’Sullivan et al. 2000, 10-15). The lower levels in the midden appear to be early medieval in date, and contemporary with a souterrain (SL005-022002-), the lowest fill of which produced a radiocarbon date of 11th-12th century AD (McCormick and O'Sullivan et al. 2000, 20). A horse bone, retrieved from an upper layer in the midden, produced a radiocarbon date of AD 1447-1632 (UB-3771) (McCormick and Bently 1994, 2). The midden points to a long period of settlement at Staad, which, according to tradition, was used by pilgrims and other travellers as a staging point en route to the monastic settlement (SL001-001001-) on Inishmurray Island, located c. 6km offshore. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 4 July 2017

• SL005-022005 Graveyard
  Description

  Located immediately E of Staad Abbey church (SL005-022001-). This consists of a rectilinear enclosure (18m E−W; 10m N−S) defined by a low grass-covered bank, which extends ENE from the E gable of the church. Within its area, immediately E of the church, McCormick et al. (2000, 10) recorded six low upright stone slabs (Wth c. 0.3m N−S; H c. 0.3m) set on edge in the ground, three of which are contiguous in a N-S row. These appear to be simple gravemarkers; McCormick et al. (ibid., 10) suggest that this enclosure may be a late medieval or post-medieval graveyard. A later N−S field boundary cuts across W end of the enclosure. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 3 July 2017

• SL005-022006 Cairn - unclassified
  Description

  This cairn was recorded as follows during archaeological investigations at Staad Abbey in 2000 (McCormick et al. 2000, 9): ‘A small rubble cairn, ca. 2 m wide by 1 m high, stands alone within the pasture 12 m south-west of the church. The original form and purpose of this feature is unknown, but it may have been a leacht or station, similar to the well-known examples associated with the early monastery on Inishmurray.’ Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 3 July 2017

• SL005-022007 Enclosure
  Description

  In rough coastal pasture, located to E and S of Staad Abbey church (SL005-022001-). A survey in 2000 recorded a low, ill-defined grass-covered bank located c. 30-35m E of the church, bordering a low break of slope between the drier pasture surrounding the church and lowlying damp, rush-grown ground beyond. A similar low, ill-defined bank (Wth 1.5m; h 0.25M) curves roughly E−W in shallow arc c. 30m S of the church. These banks may define an outer boundary enclosing the church, or may be remnants of a field system associated with the medieval settlement at the church. A resistivity survey carried out in this area showed linear features, possibly remnants of medieval or post-medieval field boundaries, now overlain by a grid of 19th century field fences. (McCormick et al. 2000, 9-12) Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 4 July 2017

• SL005-022008 Kiln - lime
  Description

  Located c. 10m N of Staad Abbey church (SL005-022001-), in an area of lowlying coastal pasture, bordering a cobble beach. This bowl-shaped, stone-lined pit is exposed in section in the land-edge cliff (H c. 2m) bordering the cobble beach. It was record in 2000 during archaeological investigation (licence no. 00E0235) at Staad Abbey, and at that date measured c. 2.5m in diameter and 1-1.5m in depth (McCormick and O’Sullivan et al. 2000, 21-23). The base of the pit contains fire-reddened material overlain by lime residue, which points to its function as a lime roasting clamp for the production of mortar. These basal fills are overlain by redeposited stony soil, used to backfill the pit when it fell out of use. The position of the pit in the stratigraphy of the cliff face suggests that the pit belongs to a late medieval phase of activity at the site, and may be associated with the construction of the church (SL005-022001-) (Ibid., 27). The cliff face continues to recede due to erosion, but remnants of the pit are still visible. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 3 July 2017

• SL005-022009 House - early medieval
  Description

  Located immediately to N of Staad Abbey church (SL005-022001-). Excavation (00E0235) in 2001 revealed remnants of paving and two ash spreads or simple hearths, which were interpreted as the remains of an early medieval house floor. It overlay a deep layer of natural sand, and was overlain by layers of midden material (SL005-022004-) (Dunne, McCormick, and O’Sullivan 2001, 1). Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 4 July 2017

• SL005-022010 Habitation site
  Description

  In lowlying coastal pasture bordering a cobble beach, in the vicinity of Staad Abbey church (SL005-022001-). Survey and excavation (00E0235) in 2000 and 2001 revealed evidence of an early phase of settlement activity, pre-dating the late medieval church (SL005-022001-) and the early medieval souterrain (SL005-022002-). A horizon of bowl-shaped pits was recorded, dug into deep deposits of wind-blown sand, in the lowest stratigraphic levels in the eroding land-edge cliff face (McCormick et al. 2000, 15-17), and, in a trench excavated in the space between the church and the sea cliff, a wall built of beach cobbles underlay a layer of wind-blown sand, which in turn underlay the foundations of the church (Dunne, McCormick, and O’Sullivan 2001, 1). These features have not been precisely dated, but their position in the stratigraphy of the site suggested that some may be prehistoric in date. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 4 July 2017

• SL005-023 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on a very slight W-facing slope in gently undulating pasture. Raised circular area (diam. 24m) enclosed by a low bank of earth (Wth 5.9m; int. H 0.3m). A WSW-ENE orientated field boundary bank lies along the line of the bank SE-SW. The exterior side of the bank, to the S of the field boundary, has been partially quarried away SE-SW. A break (Wth 2m) in the bank at N marks the position of the original entrance. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 22 April 2013

• SL005-193 Structure - peatland
  Description

  Within a peat layer exposed on a beach, on a NW-facing bay. A church (SL005-022001-), known as Staad Abbey, is located c. 25m NE. In May 2017 several upright timber stakes and other pieces of timber were noted in a peat layer exposed when a covering layer of loose beach cobbles had been swept away by storm/wave action. A rescue excavation (17E0317) was carried out on behalf of the National Monument Service between 27 June and 3 July 2017 to investigate and record the timber features as they were vulnerable to further erosion and possible destruction (Beglane 2018). The excavation was limited to the exposed portion (c. 30m E−W; c. 4.6m N−S; max. D 1.59m) of the peat layer. The full extent of the layer along the shoreline is concealed by beach cobbles, and it is likely that it also extends to SE−S beneath the field of damp, rush-grown pasture which borders the beach. Specialist analysis of a peat core taken during the excavation showed that the peat layer accumulated between the late Mesolithic and the late Iron Age periods in a local environment quite different from that of the present day. The seashore during that period was some distance to NW of its current position, and the peat layer formed in fen-like conditions in what had been a freshwater lake. The excavation revealed activity within the peat layer in the Bronze Age. This record refers to Middle Bronze Age activity which was represented by a total of 20 upright, in-situ wooden stakes which had been driven into the peat to form a number of lines and groupings. Several stakes had worked ends, with axe marks evident. Willow was the most common wood type used, but hazel and alder were also used. The alignment of the rows of stakes varied, some were oriented NW-SE, others NE-SW. The radiocarbon dates suggest a number of different episodes of activity. The majority of the rows were constructed within the time frame indicated by three radiocarbon dates: 1737–1531calBC; 1621–1465 calBC; 1637–1444 calBC. Two stakes had noticeably wider diameters than those in other rows, and one of these produced a radiocarbon date of 1410-1232 calBC, indicated activity later in the Middle Bronze Age. There are a number of suggested functions for the stakes. They may have 'formed hides for hunting activities, supports for wildfowling nets or maybe windbreaks or screens behind which particular activities may have taken place.' (Beglane 2018, 41). None of the lines of stakes were connected by any wattling, and for this reason the excavator concluded ‘that if they were parts of structures then the stakes are likely to have been connected and covered using fabric, netting or leather that was removed after use, suggesting that they were either temporary, or maybe used on a seasonal basis…The possibility of at least some of these stakes being used for wildfowling seems feasible. The juxtaposition of a freshwater lake near the seashore would have made this an ideal location to trap migrating birds.’ (Beglane 2018, 41). Attached mages: SL005-193----_01.JPEG General location viewed from NE, with church (SL005-022001-) in background. A ranging rod lies on the dark brown peat layer which is visible where beach cobbles have been removed by wave action. SL005-193----_02.JPEG detail of timber stakes in peat layer (pre-excavation) Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of revised upload: 19 December 2018

• SL005-193001 Structure - peatland
  Description

  Within a peat layer exposed on a beach, on a NW-facing bay. A church (SL005-022001-), known as Staad Abbey, is located c. 25m NE. In May 2017 several upright timber stakes and other pieces of timber were noted in a peat layer exposed when a covering layer of loose beach cobbles had been swept away by storm/wave action. A rescue excavation (17E0317) was carried out on behalf of the National Monument Service between 27 June and 3 July 2017 to investigate and record the timber features as they were vulnerable to further erosion and possible destruction (Beglane 2018). The excavation was limited to the exposed portion (c. 30m E−W; c. 4.6m N−S; max. D 1.59m) of the peat layer. The full extent of the layer along the shoreline is concealed by beach cobbles, and it is likely that it also extends to SE−S beneath the field of damp, rush-grown pasture which borders the beach. Specialist analysis of a peat core taken during the excavation showed that the peat layer accumulated between the late Mesolithic and the late Iron Age periods in a local environment quite different from that of the present day. The seashore during that period was some distance to NW of its current position, and the peat layer formed in fen-like conditions in what had been a freshwater lake. The excavation revealed activity within the peat layer in the Bronze Age. This record refers to the earliest phase of activity which was represented by a horizontal layer of wood. It was partly excavated. Only one piece of worked wood was recovered -a piece of willow brushwood with a long, shallow chisel point -nevertheless, the layer of wood appeared to have been deliberately laid, and may have served as a trackway, platform or surface. Many of the wood pieces were on a roughly NW-SE axis, suggesting that they may have formed a trackway running across the boggy ground. The excavator concluded that ‘they did not seem to be tightly packed across the whole area or regularly aligned so they probably did not form a permanent route-way, but instead might be considered as occasional aids for persons needing to access or to cross this boggy area, or may only have been placed over the wettest portions of the peat surface’ (Beglane 2018, 40). The wood was mainly willow, reflecting the local wet environment. A wood sample returned a radiocarbon dated of 2285-2044 cal BC, indicating activity during the Early Bronze Age. (Beglan 2018). This structure is overlain at a higher level in the peat layer by other structures (SL0005-193----) dating to the Middle Bronze Age. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 19 December 2018

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Agharrow.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Radon

About 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

Susceptibility moderately high, moderately low, low, low (inferred), on the 1:50,000 map.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of the townland of Agharrow.

Flooding

The flood maps of the Office of Public Works: floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency; Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland; both CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

No address of the register names Agharrow with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Sligo.

Name

Agharrow · Achadh Choradh

Area

880,793 m² (88.08 ha, 217.65 acres)

Civil parish

Ahamlish, and its townlands

Barony

Carbury

Electoral division

Lissadill North, the unit of the census

Census 2022

Lissadill North electoral division: 1,549 people in 516 households; 76% of households own their home; 41% of homes were built since 2001; 7% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 9% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Ballyscannel, Drangan or Mountedward, Streedagh

Placenames

Agharrow on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address; old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.