County: Meath Site name: MERRYWELL (Testing Area 21)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0483
Author: Tara O'Neill, Archaeological Consultancy Services
Site type: Field system
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 693525m, N 750757m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.498499, -6.590364
An assessment was carried out in advance of the planned M3 Clonee–North of Kells PPP scheme, Co. Meath, on the Clonee–Dunshaughlin section (Contract 1) between February and June 2004. This section of the scheme consists of c. 14.2km of motorway and a further c. 14km of link roads and additional side roads. 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 26 testing areas. The assessment methodology generally consisted of mechanically excavating 2m-wide 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.
Thirty-nine test-trenches were excavated in Testing Area 21. One area of archaeological significance was identified that will be impacted upon by the proposed development. This was represented by a number of medieval field systems located within Field 1, from which a number of sherds of medieval pottery were retrieved. This site has been designated Merrywell 1.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
