County: Meath Site name: BALGEEN AND RATHMULLEN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0745
Author: Ian Russell, ACS Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 706405m, N 774460m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.708975, -6.388235
Monitoring was conducted during topsoil-stripping at the Donore Road in the townland of Rathmullan and at Balgeen, Co. Meath, during groundworks associated with the construction of the proposed toll plaza on the new M1 motorway.
The sod and topsoil were an average of 0.4m thick and directly overlay the natural, orange, sandy clay. At the Donore Road, stockpiles of topsoil from stripping in 2001 had to be removed before stripping could begin on the proposed toll booth sites.
Four sites were exposed during monitoring, two at the Donore Road. Rathmullan 10 was revealed on the western side of the proposed motorway and consisted of a single ditch. It was excavated by Ian Russell (No. 1512, Excavations 2002, 02E0870). Rathmullan 11 was exposed on the eastern side of the motorway and consisted of two pits. This site was excavated by Ian Russell (No. 1513, Excavations 2002, 02E1245).
The other two sites were in the townland of Balgeen, close to the River Nanny. A possible settlement site was revealed at Balgeen 4 Ext., which was excavated by Robert O’Hara under a transfer and extension of licence 01E0742, issued to Helen Kehoe in 2001 (No. 1423, Excavations 2002). Balgeen 5 was exposed a short distance to the north; it contained one ditch, three pits and an area of redeposited clay and was excavated by Robert O’Hara under licence 02E0943 (No. 1424, Excavations 2002).
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
