2006:1497 - Killegland, Ashbourne, Meath

Monitoring undertaken under licence 05E1321 identified two areas of archaeological significance in the north-east corner of a proposed residential development at Killegland, Ashbourne. After discussions with the client and DoEHLG, these features were fully resolved under licence 06E0779. The two areas were designated Road 1 North and Road 2 in line with the proposed development plan. The features identified in Road 1 North and Road 2 were continuous with each other and were excavated together.
The features resolved in this area comprised a series of generally shallow linear ditches, pits and metalled trackways. Four main phases were recorded. The first phase consisted of a number of linear features, many of which were quite shallow, which were datable to the medieval period. There was no evidence for any archaeology in this part of the development before the medieval period.
The second phase comprised an enclosure ditch and two possibly related ditches. The enclosure ditch appeared to enclose an area to the north-east (which was where Killegland Castle, a 15th-century tower-house, stood to the south of Broadmeadow River).
The third phase comprised north–south-running linear ditches, some of which contained metalled surfaces, indicative of probable pathways. It is very possible that these pathways relate to the fording site of the River Broadmeadow which lay due north of the pathways and may have connected the graveyard (or the religious establishment that stood there before it became a graveyard) to the settlement of Killegland.
The fourth phase comprised later medieval pits to the south. This phase came after the pathways had gone out of use. Large numbers of later medieval pottery sherds were retrieved from these pits. A number of other small isolated medieval features were also evident.