County: Louth Site name: RIVERSTOWN, Ardee
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 14:45 Licence number: 96E0217
Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 697330m, N 792213m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.870227, -6.520041
Archaeological testing of a proposed residential development at Riverstown, Ardee, was carried out in July 1996. The site is identified in the Sites and Monuments Record for County Louth as a 'Church/uncertain'. Tradition identifies the site of a church beside the road in Riverstown townland on a southwest slope a little below the summit. There is a small flat-topped hillock known locally as Church Field, but it has not been confirmed to date whether or not this is the site of such a church.
Six trenches were opened on the site in the area of the proposed development and they revealed that no significant archaeological deposits were present. The natural boulder clay was encountered at a consistent depth of 0.4m below present ground level. Towards the south end of the site the natural boulder clay was much deeper and this suggested that this area of the site was extensively ploughed; however, no finds were encountered in this area.
30 Laurence St., Drogheda, Co. Louth
