County: Meath Site name: LOUGHSALLAGH 1, LOUGHSALLAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A017/008
Author: Linda Clarke, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda.
Site type: Roadway
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 702666m, N 742138m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.419365, -6.455455
This site was located within Contract 1 (Dunboyne to Dunshaughlin) of the proposed M3 Clonee to North of Kells motorway and was excavated during August 2005. The remains of a roughly cobbled stone roadway were discovered by Robert O’Hara during the assessment phase of works in 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 1191, 04E0489). During the resolution phase, an area 30m by 30m was stripped of topsoil. The roadway extended the entire length of, and beyond, the cutting. Test sections were excavated through this roadway and it had an average width of 10m and an average thickness of 0.3m. An associated ditch, probably used for drainage, ran along the entire length of the roadway. The remains of an earlier roadway and associated ditch were also exposed below the aforementioned roadway. This earlier road was of similar construction and had an average thickness of 0.15m. Both of these roadways may represent early routes to Dunboyne and are probably post-medieval in date.
