County: Louth Site name: ARDEE (Area 10)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 14:43 Licence number: 02E1745 ext.
Author: David Bayley, for IAC Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 696046m, N 790784m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.857621, -6.539994
Testing of two route options for the proposed N52 Ardee Bypass, where they pass through a medieval D-shaped enclosure that contains a cemetery, was carried out in November 2002 (Excavations 2002, No. 1282). An aim of the original testing programme was to determine if the enclosure was really a religious or ecclesiastic enclosure, or just a coincidental layout of hedges. However, during testing it was not possible to mechanically investigate the hedge and bank boundary that forms this 'D-shaped' boundary. Dúchas subsequently requested that this boundary be investigated by trenching.
Three additional trenches were excavated across the boundaries of the possible enclosure within the land-take of the proposed road. No archaeological features were recorded. No evidence of ditches or medieval banks was recorded during the testing programme. It would appear that all three hedges and banks were laid in recent times. Extensive quarrying activities were carried out in the vicinity in recent times, and it is probable that the hedges at the western side of the possible enclosure were relaid along the pre-existing boundaries subsequent to the quarrying activity.
8 Dungar Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
