County: Louth Site name: Finlay’s, Cappocksgreen, Ardee
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0178
Author: Red Tobin, 35 Brook Meadow, Avoca, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Urban, medieval/post-medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 696046m, N 790784m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.857623, -6.540001
The site is owned by Finlay’s of Ardee, who have manufactured and supplied coffins and caskets from this site for over 70 years. The site is to be developed as a mixed-use development including both residential and commercial units. Located north of the River Dee, the development site lies just within the zone of archaeological potential for the medieval walled town of Ardee.
Testing demonstrated that potential archaeological material is present on this site. The nature and extent of this material could not be fully assessed within the confines of the test-trenches as this site continues to function as a working yard and factory. In all cases the features noted appear to have been cut from the upper limits of stratigraphy and as such may reflect later post-medieval or modern activity.
This phase of testing has shown that the site has an archaeological content. It will be necessary to resume this assessment prior to or in association with site clearance and demolition of the existing factory and warehousing. It is likely that the features are post-medieval to modern in date but, in the absence of supporting artefactual evidence, further testing or monitoring will be required to confirm this interpretation.
