County: Louth Site name: Moneymore, Drogheda
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 06E0819 ext.
Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services, 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Medieval pottery kiln
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 708835m, N 776291m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.724921, -6.350802
A medieval pottery kiln was exposed in the course of monitoring of groundworks associated with the construction of a proposed parochial hall at St Peter’s Church, Magdalene Street, Drogheda, in October 2006 (Excavations 2006, No. 1344). The licence was extended to allow for an excavation in January 2007. The site is within the zone of archaeological potential for Drogheda town and east of the medieval pottery production complex excavated by Caroline Powell and Eoin Halpin (Excavations 2004, No. 1085, 04E0224) at the Old Mart site, on the junction of Magdalene Street and Greenlanes.
The kiln was exposed in section alongside the original foundations of the old parish hall. The remains of an oval, stone-lined firing chamber were recorded and a substantial assemblage of medieval pottery was recovered. This included body sherds of green-glazed pottery with light-orange fabric, fragments of pipkin footings, kiln fragments, tile mould fragments and body sherds of green-glazed Saintonge ware.
