2008:807 - AGHNASKEAGH (2), Louth

Louth County Council, the Roads Service NI (Department for Regional Development) and the National Roads Authority are currently proposing a road scheme, the A1/N1 Newry–Dundalk road. The route consists of 14.2km of 2-lane dual carriageway with 5.7km of associated link roads from Cloghoge roundabout, south of Newry, to the Ballymascanlan interchange, north of Dundalk.

This site consisted of a cluster of five features found in testing. Feature 7 was the northernmost feature in the cluster; it consisted of two teardrop-shaped spreads of charcoal-flecked soil. These features lay beside one another and continued into the northern baulk. Feature 6 lay 25m to the south-east of Feature 7 and consisted of a spread of brown/grey silt; the eastern edge of this spread continued into the baulk. Feature 5 lay 30m to the south-west of Feature 6 and consisted of a subcircular silty soil with charcoal. Feature 4 lay 40m to the west of Feature 5 and consisted of two apparently discreet spreads of charcoal. Feature 3 lay 20m south of Feature 4 and was the southernmost feature in the cluster of Features 3–7. It consisted of a roughly oval spread of charcoal-flecked brown/grey soil.

Of the four discrete areas that had been scheduled for Phase 2 excavations at Site 109, only Area C (Feature 4) contained features of archaeological significance. In this area, there were six stake- or post-holes that may have combined to form a windbreak, a screen or perhaps a small hut. Just to the north of these features were several pits one of which may be archaeological.

Editor’s note: This report arrived too late for inclusion in the bulletin for 2005, when the work took place.