County: Louth Site name: FIELDSTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 21:35(01, 02), 21:36 Licence number: 01E0456
Author: Donald Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 707544m, N 781515m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.772110, -6.368525
An assessment, using test-trenching, was carried out at the site of a proposed dwelling-house and associated services at Fieldstown, Monasterboice, Co. Louth, on 2 June 2001. An earlier, non-intrusive assessment was carried out by Ian Russell in January 2001 following a request for further information from Dúchas.
The proposed development is close to and within the zone of archaeological potential of two stone cairns and two stone cists within the matrix of one of the cairns. Four test-trenches were excavated by machine in the areas to be disturbed by the proposed development. The sod and topsoil were removed down to natural shale, which was exposed at a depth of 0.15–0.2m. No archaeological features were identified in the area of the proposed development. It is therefore unlikely that there will be an impact on archaeological deposits. The entire field has been intensively ploughed over the years, and as the natural shale occurs quite high it is unlikely that deposits survive in any part of the field, if any ever existed. However, owing to the development’s proximity to the recorded monuments, it is recommended that all ground disturbance associated with the development be monitored.
15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
