32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2 - DROGHEDA: Duleek Gate, Duleek Street/ Priest Lane, Louth

In compliance with the recommendations of An Bord Pleanála, a programme of archaeological testing was carried out on the site at Duleek St./Priest's Lane, Drogheda. This was the fourth in a series of archaeological investigations which had taken place on this site since 1988. The results of the earlier test programmes have already appeared in Excavations for the relevant years (Excavations 1988, 28; 1993, 54–5).

A single trench to test the critical area was mechanically opened under archaeological supervision to reveal a further section of the ditch which had been located during an earlier phase of testing. The features and contents of this ditch were examined and recorded in detail, and it was demonstrated that this was indeed the same feature as that which had been located in 1988. The line of this ditch has thus been traced for upwards of 10m, where it intersects the site, extending from north to south. It roughly follows the supposed line of the town wall at this point, as indicated by the Urban Archaeological Survey, Co. Louth, but at a distance of approx. 8m inside this line. However, an earlier testing programme failed to reveal any evidence whatever for the existence of such a wall in this location (see Excavations 1993, 55).

That this ditch is a medieval feature was apparent from the earlier testing programme and was confirmed by the recovery of a significant quantity of medieval pottery, both glazed and unglazed, from the lower layers above the primary silting. It was also revealed that this ditch terminated at a point approx. 9.5m inside the southern boundary of the site. This boundary line, it should be noted, also marks the supposed line of the original town wall. Again the question is raised, which was already addressed in the earlier report (1988), as to the nature of the feature and its possible relationship with the town defences. It was pointed out that a map of Drogheda, dated to 1657, by Robert Newcomen appears to show an open ditch inside the line of the town wall in this sector. It is thus possible that the recent excavations have revealed this same feature which, on the basis of the recovered pottery, may be as early as or perhaps even earlier than the town wall. The pottery, both glazed and unglazed, seems to belong to the same type of 13th- or 14th-century wares and readily fits into the general classifications of pottery from this period found elsewhere in Drogheda.

It is proposed to publish the full results of these four phases of archaeological testing in the near future.