2005:AD6 - DOWDSTOWN 1, DOWDSTOWN, Meath

The route of the proposed M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway scheme was divided into five contracts and was tested by Eamonn Cotter in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1253, 04E0476). Within Contract 2 (Dunshaughlin to Navan), Testing Area 15, in the townland of Dowdstown, the remains of a cottage and metalled roadway were recorded by Stephen Linnane (Excavations 2004, No. 1221, 04E0419). The cottage and roadway appeared on the first-edition OS map of 1836 and the cottage was still standing by the third edition of 1911, although it was possibly only a shell at this time.
The site was reopened in 2005 for full excavation. The cottage had unmortared, coursed, limestone wall foundations with internal dimensions of 8.2m by 4.3m and was divided into three rooms by a wooden partition and a substantial dividing wall which contained the fireplace. The floor was constructed of brick set on a mortar base. The brick floor extended out towards the roadway, indicating the location of the doorway and the existence of a porch. A post socket within the central room probably indicated the location of a wooden screen protecting the interior from draughts. No evidence of roof tiles or slates was found, thus suggesting that the roof was thatched.
Ditches, and the remains of drystone walls internal to the ditches, were excavated to the north and south of the cottage and these would have surrounded a yard/garden to the west/rear of the cottage; this enclosure is also indicated on the OS maps.
Finds from the surrounding ditches were plentiful and included many iron utensils, notably numerous cauldron fragments, and pottery and glass sherds, including window glass. The finds would indicate that the cottage was occupied from c. 1800 to c. 1900.
The roadway ran from north–south, leading from Dowdstown Demesne towards Tara. It was 2m wide, metalled, and lay in a slight depression with a stone-built drain running along its eastern edge and with a substantial ditch also located to the east.