The overall archaeological survey of County Sligo is well advanced. In 1990 the first phase, "The County Sligo Sites and Monuments Record", was completed. The second phase of the Sligo survey, involving detailed fieldwork for the entire county, has also been completed.
Fieldwork serves two principal purposes. Fundamentally it generates an archive of material on a site-by-site basis, which is of enormous, practical assistance to the task of recording, researching and protecting monuments, and also to the planning consultation process. As a secondary function, the completed fieldwork provides the basis for an "Archaeological Inventory" publication
The Sligo Inventory will be published in two volumes and preliminary drafting will shortly be completed on the first volume. The second volume is unlikely to be scheduled for this preliminary drafting until 1997, on account of the more immediate fieldwork priorities elsewhere. When the drafts are written up the Inventory volumes will require to be edited and prepared for publication. At this stage it is not possible to say when the Inventory volumes will be published but there will be no undue delay.
