County: Meath Site name: Duleek Town: Balsaran, Commons, Duleek, Knockisland and Prioryland
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: ME027–019, 027–020, 027–023, 027–024, 027–038 07E0927
Author: Richard Clutterbuck, Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd, Unit 4, Dundrum Business Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14.
Site type: Early medieval to modern urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 704592m, N 768371m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.654647, -6.417732
The bundled wastewater collection system for County Meath, being undertaken by Meath County Council, is to be carried out in eight towns: Athboy, Donore, Duleek, Kilmainham Wood, Moynalty, Rathcairn, Rathmoylan and Summerhill. This project is expected to continue until 2009. Monitoring took place of groundworks in Duleek for the network pipe trench (6204 linear metres). The network pipe route extends in and around Duleek town’s zone of archaeological potential (954 linear metres) on Larrix Street, Main Street and the Navan Road, an early medieval monastic centre and medieval town. A ground-penetrating radar survey, carried out by BMA Services (07R208), identified a large number of services but no definite subsurface archaeological features. The remaining 5250 linear metres of network pipes are along country roads or the outlying suburbs of Duleek. Separate assessments of the development’s impact on the river crossing and water courses have been carried out by Aisling Collins (07D50). Sixty linear metres of network pipe trench will be excavated beside Duleek Cross, a late 16th-century wayside cross and a national monument. Archaeological works commenced with the monitoring of trial holes in November 2007; nothing of archaeological significance was discovered.
Works will continue in 2008 and will also include monitoring groundworks for the extension of the existing pump station, wastewater treatment plant, an outflow pipe and a temporary wayleave across the flood-plain of the River Nanny.
