2001:846 - DROGHEDA: The Marsh Road, Louth

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Louth Site name: DROGHEDA: The Marsh Road

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0337

Author: Billy Quinn, ASU Ltd.

Site type: Structure

Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)

ITM: E 709574m, N 775061m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.713715, -6.340036

Pre-development testing of a site currently occupied by McDonnell’s on the Marsh Road, Drogheda, was carried out over a three-day period between 23 and 29 May 2001. The site is located immediately outside the medieval town wall to the east, along the line of the archaeological constraint zone for RMP 24:41.

The proposed development involves the construction of a multi-unit retail/commercial and residential centre occupying a block stretching west to east from the McGowan’s site at the South Quay through the present Lakeland Dairies Site and along the Quayside to the rear of McDonnell’s. Prior to testing the site consisted of a disused open concrete yard fronting on to the river.

Three trial-trenches were excavated through the site. Trenches 1 and 2 were side by side and ran parallel to the river; they measured 30m and 40m respectively. The third trench measured 25m and was located to the west of Trench 2. All were dug to an average depth of 1.5m and contained a number of rubble fills and composite charcoal-rich layers under a concrete slab.

All the finds recovered were of modern date and included white ware, pipe fragments, red brick and slate. The only feature of note was a wall foundation, first exposed to the north of Trench 3 along its east-facing section. The wall, orientated north–south, was built of squared limestone blocks and was exposed along its length for 7.4m. All the layers exposed during the excavations consisted of redeposited fills with modern inclusions. Flooding caused problems on site and limited the depth of excavation; however, on the evidence of the above, the upper levels of the site to a depth of 1.5m contain a mix of relatively modern deposits.

Purcell House, Oranmore, Co. Galway