2001:939 - BALGEEN, Meath

Archaeological assessment and pre-development test-trenching were carried out in advance of the planned works associated with the construction of the M1 motorway at the River Nanny crossing. The site was on the south bank of the River Nanny, to the eastern edge of the motorway way-leave. Niall Brady (ADCO) had noted, during the course of fieldwork along the river, a line of rounded boulders constituting a possible revetment set into the southern bank of the river. The river generally runs east–west but meanders, and this feature was at a point just upstream of where the river turned south. Two of the meanders in the banks were to be removed in order to insert sheet piling to protect the footings of the new motorway bridge over the River Nanny. Investigations of this feature and of the opposite bank where a possible gully occurred were carried out by the writer and by Fintan Walsh of IAC Ltd. Initial investigations revealed nothing of interest on the northern bank. The remains of a stone revetment, and a cobbled surface which ran to the edge of the river and which was supported by the boulders visible in the bank, were revealed at that stage. An area approximately 9m east–west and 10m north–south was then excavated.

All the archaeological activity was post-medieval in date. A possible wall or revetment and a platform on the bank of the river were revealed. To the north-east of the site a fan-shaped cut measuring 5m south-east/north-west and 3.2m south-west/north-east with a maximum depth of 0.5m had been dug out to the river’s edge. This provided the base for a dump of material which consisted of large boulders 0.4–0.6m in diameter and small rounder pebbles measuring 0.05–0.1m. The material around the stones consisted of sand and river gravels with inclusions of mollusc shell and marl. A flat surface was constructed of larger boulders at the immediate edge of the river. Above, a cobbled surface consisting of compact dark sandy gravels and fairly regular rounded river-rolled pebbles survived to a length of 4.2m north–south by 3.9m, and was on average 0.2m deep, and a number of post-medieval artefacts, including red brick, 18th- and early 19th-century pottery, glass and metal objects were found.

To the south of the site a stone rubble feature orientated east–west was noted. This was in a linear cut or exaggeration of the natural bank slope and consisted of small stones and gravel faced on the northern side by large angular stones measuring 0.5–0.6m in diameter. This feature was on average 0.1–0.3m deep and the quantity of material was greater to the east of the feature. Finds included a number of post-medieval artefacts such as 19th-century pottery, red brick, leather, glass, masonry and mortar. The feature itself curved slightly on its western edge and so follows to some extent the shape of the cobbled area to the north-east, suggesting that the two respect each other. Part of this and of the cobbling had been removed by machine in the initial testing and the exact nature of the link between the two was not clear, though it appeared to contain the cobbled surface to the south.

The evidence suggests that the stone platform was a landing-stage or access point to the river. This site may have been associated with industrial activity relating to the numerous mills of probable similar date which occurred along the river close by. An 18th-century map of the area (Taylor and Skinner 1798) shows a crossroads at Dardistown, east of this site, with a road or track leading westwards and then turning south towards the river. It is possible that this track was used to convey goods to a landing-stage for transportation up or down the river, and beyond.

Reference
Taylor, G. and Skinner, A. 1778 Maps of the roads of Ireland. London.