County: Meath Site name: NAVAN: Canon Row/Kennedy Road
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 05E0754
Author: Rosanne Meenan
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 685832m, N 767919m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.653992, -6.701567
The site, located within the zone of archaeological potential for Navan (SMR 25:44), stretches north–south between Kennedy Road and Canon Row. The latter is known to have been in existence in the 16th century. Testing and monitoring was carried out on the Kennedy Road end of the site in early 2004. The Canon Row end of the site became available in 2005. Two trenches tested the development site. A ditch of unknown date, two shallow pits and a gully containing medieval pottery were exposed at the north end of the trenches. Medieval and/or early post-medieval material was not recovered at the Canon Row frontage, as the construction of a dwelling house there in the 1950s had removed any archaeological material that may have survived.
Following discovery of the pits and ditch, it was recommended that they be excavated by hand. This was carried out over a week in September 2005.
Three large pits were exposed along the west side of the site. Two had been disturbed by the insertion of a third between them. They were approximately oval in plan, ranging from 3 to 4m in length and between 0.7 and 0.9m in depth. The sides were almost vertical at the uppermost levels, although the slope then became more gradual towards the bottom. The original excavation marks were visible in the natural very fine yellow clay. The function of the pits was not clear. Medieval pottery sherds and animal bone were recovered, but in very small quantities. A possible interpretation is that they were quarry pits for clay.
An east–west ditch that was exposed at the north end of the site was also excavated, although it was not possible to excavate its full width due to constraints of space; it had a minimum width of 2.5m. Along one section there was a break in the slope, producing a step-like effect. No finds were recovered from the fill, which comprised very soft grey silt.
The other features on the site comprised indistinct gullies and depressions cut into the natural yellow clay.
Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath
