County: Meath Site name: TRIM : Haggard Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0111
Author: Rosanne Meenan
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 680213m, N 757391m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.560297, -6.789254
The development comprised an extension to the Supervalu supermarket. The site lay just within the east-west line of the northern stretch of the town wall, which runs from the Athboy Gate eastwards before taking a southwards bend. The line of the town wall also forms the boundary of the supermarket site.
The site lies south of St Mary's Dominican Priory, which was founded in 1263. Stone footings and earthworks associated with the priory still survive on open ground. These were subjected to an intensive geophysical survey carried out in 1988 by Dr William Jerrard Kennedy of Florida Atlantic University (lodged in the National Monuments Service). This survey showed subsurface features, which Dr Kennedy identified as different parts of the monastic buildings.
The present supermarket building stands on ground south of the priory buildings. It is c. 2m lower than the ground on which the priory remains stand, and the ground must have been substantially reduced when the supermarket and its carparking area were being built, resulting in a steep slope down from the priory to the carpark.
One trench tested the line of the west wall of the proposed extension. The stratigraphy was consistent along the length of the trench. It comprised two layers of tarmac and hard-core to a depth of 0.5m, overlying a compacted, stony boulder clay. In places the boulder clay was sandier, and large erratic boulders were exposed at the bottom of the trench, which was c. 1m deep.
No material of archaeological interest was observed.
Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath
