2006:1342 - Doolargy, Louth

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Louth Site name: Doolargy

Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: 01E0334 ext.

Author: Rosanne Meenan, Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath.

Site type: No archaeological significance

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 709678m, N 812751m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.052237, -6.324978

This development site at Doolargy, Ravensdale, lies within the constraint area for LH004–044, marked on the first-edition 6-inch OS map as a circular enclosure but not on later editions. There is some evidence that the outline of the enclosure may have been retained in the modern field boundaries and in a narrow drainage ditch. The site was tested in May 2001 (Excavations 2001, No. 840). No archaeological material was exposed, but, due to the proximity to the monument, it was recommended that monitoring be carried out during ground disturbance at the beginning of construction.
A deposit of very large stones had been revealed in Trench 1 during testing in 2001; these had been rolled down the hill by the developer’s family c. 25 years ago in order to fill a hollow in the surface of the field. This deposit was also exposed during the monitoring; fragments of decayed chipboard were mixed through the stones. This deposit was concentrated at the north-east quadrant of the house footprint. Elsewhere the peaty topsoil overlay the grey subsoil. There was slight evidence for the remains of three cultivation furrows at the northern end of the site; these ran parallel with each other and parallel with the slope of the hill. Archaeological features were not observed and no artefacts were recovered.