County: Meath Site name: KILLEEN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: ME038–012 and ME038–013 Licence number: 04E0969 ext.
Author: Colm Moriarty, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 693387m, N 755330m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.539599, -6.591093
Monitoring of topsoil removal was carried out at a development site at Killeen, Co. Meath. The site is situated within Killeen Castle Demesne, an estate of c. 600 acres located c. 2km west of the village of Dunshaughlin and immediately north of Dunsany Demesne. Killeen Demesne contains four known monuments: the castle itself (ME038–012), the adjacent abbey (ME038–013), a purported holy well (ME038–030) and a wayside cross (ME038–014). Previous archaeological work carried out at the development site includes geophysical survey (05R030) testing by Rosanne Meenan (Excavations 1996, No. 309, 96E0001) and by John Ó Néill (Excavations 2000, No. 758, 00E0067) and testing and monitoring by Christine Baker (Excavations 2005, No. 1196, 04E0969; No. 1198, 05E0414 [and see No. 1593, Excavations 2006]; No. 1199, 05E0415; No. 1201, 05E0949; and No. 1202, 05E0539). These works revealed a rich archaeological landscape, which included evidence for early medieval and medieval activity in the form of enclosures, burials, structures, kilns and ditches.
The area stripped during this phase of the construction programme measured 70m east–west by 60m and was located c. 100m to the north-west of Killeen Castle and c. 50m to the west of Killeen Abbey. No features of archaeological significance were identified during the course of topsoil-stripping.
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