County: Meath Site name: PRIORYLAND
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 27:21 Licence number: 98E0083
Author: Rosanne Meenan
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 705418m, N 767399m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.645742, -6.405574
A section of the Kilmoon–Drogheda road east of Duleek runs beside a site marked as 'Enclosure'. The enclosure comprises a raised platform 140m north- south by c. 50m, with the long axis running parallel to the road. It is not clear whether the feature is man-made or was created by natural processes associated with the river Nanny. Meath County Council intends to raise the level of the road and remove the field fence between the road and the field that contains the enclosure, thus encroaching on the site. It was felt that testing was required before the works commenced, and three trenches were excavated by mechanical digger.
Two gullies were exposed in the northernmost trench. They were exposed at c. 0.9m below the present sod layer. They were 0.8–1m wide, and the gully, which was excavated by hand, was 0.2m deep. Their function was not known, but it is possible that they had some kind of drainage purpose as the ground here is very low-lying and prone to flooding. The other trenches revealed nothing of archaeological significance.
Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath
