County: Louth Site name: RIVER BOYNE, Mornington
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0064
Author: Matthew Seaver for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, and Management, for Archaeology Underwater
Site type: Boat
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 713841m, N 776705m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.727569, -6.274831
An underwater investigation was carried out at two locations on the River Boyne, Cos Meath and Louth, on behalf of Drogheda Port Authority. A swim search was conducted at the site of a geophysical anomaly close to the Maiden Tower at the above coordinates. An underwater video system and lighting were used to watch the activities of divers. A series of arcs ranging from 3m to 20m was walked around a shot line, which was placed on the location of the anomaly by a global positioning system. Nothing was found that would explain the anomaly.
Archaeological trial-trenching was undertaken north of Mornington village in the river channel. The excavated material was brought to the surface through a dredge and was deposited in a sieve that was monitored by the archaeologist. Four trenches were excavated. Trenches 1–3 were excavated to between 0.5m and 0.75m deep and consisted of sand with frequent water-worn stones overlying pure estuarine sand. Trench 4 was excavated 3m below the surface, and timbers were noted protruding from the estuarine sand. Visibility was poor; however, thirteen ribs measuring 0.12m by 0.12m were noted up to 0.1m above the riverbed. They contained circular dowel-holes. The distance across the vessel from rib to rib was 2.5m. The site lay in the current shipping lane and was marked with underwater buoys. The date of the vessel is currently unknown.
15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth and Tullamore, Co. Offaly
