County: Meath Site name: RATOATH: Main Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0296
Author: Rosanne Meenan
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 701629m, N 751922m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.507459, -6.467899
The development site lies on the north side of Main Street, which curves around the line of the motte. There are no recorded monuments in this part of the village, but presumably there was settlement here from the medieval period onwards. Eight trenches of varying lengths tested this large development site.
The frontage on Main Street was sealed by a concrete slab as a floor for horse stables. Contamination was caused here by a leakage of diesel oil, which mixed with ground water to produce a viscous sludge. This was present in Trenches 1–3; Trench 4 showed natural, brown clay underneath the slab and stone filling.
The other trenches further to the north showed evidence of dumping of modern rubbish and of redeposition of boulder clay in Trench 8.
Nothing of archaeological interest was observed in the trenches.
Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath
