County: Meath Site name: KILMAINHAM (Testing Area 10)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0917
Author: Jo Ronayne, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Habitation site, Pit, Cremation pit, Burnt spread and Structure
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 676549m, N 775468m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.723261, -6.840099
An assessment was carried out in advance of the planned M3 Clonee–North of Kells PPP scheme, Co. Meath, on the Navan–Kells and N52 Kells bypass (Contract 4) between July and October 2004. This section of the scheme is c. 11km long from the townland of Ardbraccan, north of Navan, to the townland of Cakestown Glebe, north of Kells. The EIS recommended testing any known or possible sites identified and Meath County Council further proposed to test the whole of the remainder of the route. For the purposes of testing, this section was divided into fourteen testing areas. The assessment methodology generally consisted of mechanically excavating 2mwide test-trenches along the centre-line and perpendicular to the centre-line to the edge of the land-take every 20m. The work was carried out on behalf of Meath County Council, the National Roads Design Office and the National Roads Authority.
Testing Area 10 is located in the townland of Kilmainham, between Chainages 68450 and 68600; 27,330m2 of the total 211,337m2 within this area was test-trenched, providing a testing coverage of 12.9%.
A large number of features, the majority of which were spread out over a large area of a planned interchange, were identified and designated Kilmainham 1A–C. Two additional sites were designated Kilmainham 2 and 3.
Kilmainham 1A consisted of a number of shallow pits and deposits, some of which contained prehistoric pottery dispersed between Chainages 68500 and 68600. The features appeared to be too shallow to be structural and they did not form any discernible pattern; however, the site is currently interpreted as a habitation site.
Kilmainham 1B consisted of two single pits and four groups of pits and possible post-holes of unknown date dispersed between Chainages 68300 and 68400.
Kilmainham 1C consisted of a number of possible cremation pits and a number of irregular spreads of burnt and heat-shattered stone with charcoal-stained soil, resembling the type of site known as a burnt mound or fulacht fiadh. No associated artefacts were recovered.
Kilmainham 2 consisted of a curvilinear feature and two possible post-holes. The curvilinear feature measured 3.4m east-west by 0.85m and the possible post-holes were found on either side of this. The test-trench was extended and five other features were uncovered, including possible slot-trenches. It is likely that these features are part of a possible structure. No artefacts were found associated with these features.
Kilmainham 3 is the site of a possible structure consisting of post-holes and a possible pit concentrated in an area of c. 10m. All the features were charcoal-stained and a number of them produced flint when the area was cleaned. One of the post-holes was sectioned and measured 0.4m by 0.3m by 0.4m deep. It contained a number of pieces of struck flint. The features present may represent a possible substantial structure and the artefacts suggest that this may be a prehistoric site. Another group of probably related features was identified 20m south of the above features. This may be a possible domestic or industrial area. Features uncovered include possible post-holes, a small row of stones orientated north-south and a curvilinear feature. Also uncovered were a flat subrectangular-shaped stone and a number of areas of reddish burnt material with charcoal inclusions. No artefacts were recovered.
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