County: Louth Site name: Tullyallen
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0440
Author: Declan Moore, Moore Archaeological & Environmental Services Ltd, Corporate House, Ballybrit Business Park, Ballybrit, Galway.
Site type: Modern
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 704329m, N 777511m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.736795, -6.418633
The proposed development site is located 1km south of Tullyallen village on sloping land. The River Boyne flows from west to east on the southern side of the N51 and forms the border between counties Louth and Meath. The river’s northern flood-plain forms an area of pastureland to the front of the site. The Battle of the Boyne site is located across the river and due south of the proposed development site and the extent of the battle movements surround the general area. There are a number of archaeological sites in the vicinity. Testing was carried out in late April 2007.
The original testing strategy proposed eight test-trenches at the site. However, upon excavation of the first test-trench it was discovered that there were deep deposits of dumped modern material throughout the lower end of the site. It became clear that the area had been entirely quarried out in the past, and subsequently backfilled with modern rubble, rubbish and demolition material. In all trenches a sod and topsoil layer overlay a deep deposit of dumped material, comprising red brick, dumped stone and other building material in a mixed deposit of sand and clay. No archaeological finds or features were retrieved or exposed.
