2004:1283 - LISMULLIN (Testing Area 9), Meath

An assessment was carried out in advance of the planned M3 Clonee–North of Kells PPP scheme, Co. Meath, on the Dunshaughlin–Navan section (Contract 2) between February and June 2004. This section of the scheme is c. 15.5km long from the townland of Roestown, north-west of Dunshaughlin, to the townland of Ardsallagh, south-west of Navan town. The EIS recommended testing any known or possible sites identified and Meath County Council further proposed to test the whole of the remainder of the route. For the purposes of testing, this section was divided into 26 testing areas. The assessment methodology generally consisted of mechanically excavating 2m-wide test-trenches along the centre-line and perpendicular to the centre-line to the edge of the land-take every 20m. The work was carried out on behalf of Meath County Council, the National Roads Design Office and the National Roads Authority.

Testing Area 9 is located in Lismullin townland between Chainages 28600 and 29650. Within this area, 8578.6m2 out of a total of 77,458m2 was test-trenched, providing an assessment coverage of 11%. A potential archaeological site was identified as a result of the geophysical data (Area 15). A total of eleven pit features were identified within this field during the assessment phase of works. This site was designated Lismullin 1. Some of these features were quite shallow and may simply represent the lower portion of a pit or hollows in the ground. No finds were recovered from this site, although small fragments of animal bone were recovered from four features (and burnt bone was recovered from one). The majority of these features were located in the north-western portion of the field. This was the location of the potential archaeological site identified as a result of the geophysical data.