County: Meath Site name: DUNSHAUGHLIN: Lagore Road
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0279
Author: Rosanne Meenan
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 697461m, N 752332m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.511931, -6.530576
A low mound, approximately 33m (north–south) by 23m in diameter, was observed. It comprised peaty material partially covered with grass and with reeds growing in patches on the top; the surface is very uneven, possibly as a result of poaching by cattle. The mound may have been created by the upcast of soil following widening of the ditches here. However, as the topography is flat and waterlogged there was also a possibility that the mound may have represented the remains of a fulacht fiadh.
The developers were anxious that the nature of the mound be established before the building layout was finalised and therefore requested test-trenching.
A trench and a shorter pit tested this slightly raised feature. A deep deposit of very peaty organic soil with occasional lenses of cream-coloured marl was exposed.
Nothing of archaeological significance was observed in the trenches and no artefacts were recovered. There was no evidence for a trough as would be expected in a fulacht fiadh, or for burning or other types of structures.
Monitoring of soil clearance was required as a condition of planning permission.
Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath
