1999:026 - LEITIR, Bailieborough, Cavan

Monitoring of an extension to the rear of an existing dwelling at Leitir, Bailieborough, Co. Cavan, was undertaken on 9 November 1999. The bungalow (built some 30 years ago) is within the north-east corner of a ringfort. The fort consists of a raised circular area, internally 42m west-south-west/east-north-east by 47m north-north-east/south-south-east enclosed by an earthen bank identifiable only from the north-north-west, east and south-east, and a shallow ditch traceable from the south-west, north and north-north-east. The original entranceway can no longer be discerned, and present access to the site is via a tarmac road running through the earthwork at the south-east, extending around the interior of the site from the south-east, south, north-west and north, ending at the north-west corner of the dwelling.

Four foundation trenches were excavated to the rear of the existing dwelling on its north-eastern side. Trenches 1 and 2 were dug in the area of a proposed kitchen extension. Trenches 3 and 4 were dug at an angled corner of the rear of the building. All were excavated by mini-digger to a depth of 0.9m. In all cases, removal of the concrete surface of the yard revealed a thin layer of sandy gravel overlying yellow boulder clay.

No archaeological stratigraphy was revealed during the excavation. It is clear that the area immediately surrounding the existing dwelling had been reduced to boulder clay, possibly during its construction. The top of the enclosing bank is between 5m and 10m to the east of the excavated foundations, and its graded appearance suggests that some material has been redeposited along its inner face, probably to provide a bed for planting during the initial landscaping of the site.

15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth