2005:1093 - TREAN, Louth

Pre-development testing took place at two locations of archaeological potential identified in a preliminary appraisal of a development site at Barn Road, Trean, Dunleer. The site lies within the boundary of the Dunleer Local Area Plan 2003–2009 and comprises 18 acres divided into three fields on a west-facing slope overlooking Dunleer village and the valley of the White River. In 1988 the Bord Gáis Éireann North Eastern Pipeline from Dublin to Dundalk was routed through two of the fields. No archaeological sites were identified during a field survey in 2005, but two areas of high ground at the eastern edge of the site were indicated as potential locations for archaeological material. The developers requested that these two areas be tested in advance of a planning application.
At Site 1, test-trenches excavated by JCB to the stony clay and bedrock subsoil uncovered two features. A deposit of brown silty clay with occasional charcoal flecks and cinder filled a 0.3m-deep cut into subsoil and is probably of post-medieval date. The second feature, in an area of bedrock, was a subcircular pit, 0.5m in diameter, with some charcoal and burnt bone in the fill. A cursory examination showed that it had some depth (70mm1) and the feature was left unexcavated. The characteristics of the deposit suggest a prehistoric date.
At Site 2, trenches opened on a grassy hummock resembling a denuded mound, 25m in diameter, uncovered the smooth surface of bedrock for most of their length, under 0.15–0.25m of topsoil.