County: Meath Site name: Ledwidge Hall, Slane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0804
Author: Gearóid Kelleher, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 696479m, N 774222m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.708759, -6.538594
Excavation was carried out between 1 and 25 October 2007 on the site of a proposed residential development at Ledwidge Hall, Slane, Co. Meath. The development was located within the zone of archaeological potential associated with ME01–062, a cashel known as ‘Stanley Hill’ and ME019–063, a cashel known as ‘Gallows Hill’.
The main feature of the site was what appeared to have been a partially exposed circular enclosure (52m by 1.22m by 0.53). A north–south extension and the northern terminus of the enclosure ditch were excavated. The enclosure ditch was truncated by two modern stone drains and a north–south linear ditch (19.8m by 1.6–1.08m by 0.41m) that terminated 0.5–0.6m inside the enclosure. Three post-holes were identified in proximity to each other in the south-west section of the enclosed area. The interior of the enclosure was not exposed enough to discuss the presence or lack of internal structures.
The feature was not present on the 6-inch OS map and was probably ploughed out by the 19th century. The date of the enclosure cannot be established through artefactual evidence. Works are under way with a view to dating either the fill of the enclosure ditch or, failing that, the fill of the north–south linear ditch that truncated it.
