County: Kildare Site name: MOUNT PROSPECT
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Rosanne Meenan
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 666313m, N 717890m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.207296, -7.007324
Monitoring of subsurface works was requested owing to the proximity of the development to sites recorded by the Archaeological Survey of the National Monuments Service. These sites are: SMR 17:20, a field system; SMR 17:21, a tower-house; SMR 17:35, the possible site of a castle; and SMR 17:36, an enclosure site. 'Offaly Castle in ruins' is marked on the OS 6" map and this is the site of the tower-house. Stone ruins still stand here, and these are about 400m west of the development.
The topsoil was stripped overall; it was 400mm deep and orange-brown in colour. It overlay a stiff grey sandy clay containing a few stones, which was approx. 300–400mm deep. Underlying this was another grey layer which was less sandy and siltier in make-up. This was excavated to a depth of approx. 800mm. The foundation trenches were therefore dug to a depth of approx. 1.5m.
No archaeological material was observed in any of the trenches.
Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath
