2025:327 - Moneymore & Yellowbatter, Louth
County: Louth
Site name: Moneymore & Yellowbatter
Sites and Monuments Record No.: LH024-078, LH024-079 and LH024-080
Licence number: 25E0194
Author: Caroline Cosgrove, Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit Ltd
Author/Organisation Address: Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth. A92 DH99.
Site type: Ditched enclosure, circular houses
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 708076m, N 777534m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.736239, -6.361865
A total of 111 test trenches were excavated across 6 fields (Fields 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 7), targeting results from a previous geophysical survey (23R0553) where applicable. Field 6 was previously tested in 2022 (Piera 2022). Testing has confirmed the presence of an enclosure (C89.01), identified by a geophysical survey. Testing
showed the enclosure is c. 90m in diameter and is located in Fields 3 and 7, east of Twenties Lane. In addition to the enclosure, thirty-six other archaeological features, within Fields 1, 2, 5 and 7, were identified in testing.
In Field 1 and Field 2, a number of features were identified on the flat on the top of the field. The linear features (C44.01, C67.01 and C116.01), are likely associated with large concentric enclosure LH 024-078, located in Field 6, to the north. The circular houses C46.02 and C68.01 could be associated with the late Bronze Age enclosure excavated in 2022 (licence No. 22E0503) just west of the site (Cosgrove 2023). The features identified were found at a depth that ranged from 0.4m (Field 1) to 1.2m (Field 5).
The development is at the design/pre-planning stage. A detailed impact statement and appropriate mitigation strategy will be prepared in due course.