2008:323 - A1 Scheme 1, Newry, Carnmeen – Site 3, Down

This site was investigated during the construction of the new A1 Newry bypass. Located in Carnmeen townland north of Newry city at Chainage 2100 to 2500, Site 3 was situated on the south-eastern edge of a small drumlin with extensive views of the surrounding landscape and overlooking the Newry River to the east and south-east.
The pattern of cultural history for the region shows there has been intensive occupation right through from early times with known archaeological sites ranging from the Neolithic to mills which remained in use until only 100 years ago. Within Carnmeen townland there are a total of eight sites in the NISMR. Five of these are standing stones, two are sites identified from aerial photographs and the last is the Newry Canal.
Significantly, Site 3 was situated within a cluster of known raths recorded in the NISMR. The site is intervisible with a platform rath (DOW046–003, J09833129), located on high ground c. 500m to the east on the east side of the Newry River. A pair of conjoined raths (DOW046–001) are located c. 950m to the north-east in Corcreeghy townland and a circular cropmark site (DOW046–035) is located c. 1km to the north-west in Cloghanramer townland.
Site 3 consisted of ten separate areas and contained remains dating from the prehistoric to post-medieval period. Each area is presented separately and although post-excavation work is at a preliminary stage, an attempt has been made to present this data in a phased manner.
The rath
The rath is situated on a very prominent and exposed hilltop. It measures internally 35m east to west by 43m. The entrance is at the south side and is a narrow passage, 2.3m wide. The enclosure is D-shaped; the west side is the straighter edge.
The rath ditch is up to 2m deep and 3.6m wide; it is the deepest and widest at the approach on the south side. The ditch is much more shallow on the east side, where the hill slopes downwards. On the west side there is an earlier ditch inside the rath which is cut by the rath ditch; it measures 31m long and up to 2.5m wide and 1.2m deep.
Inside the rath enclosure few archaeological features were found. The area has been used intensively for agriculture in the intervening period and therefore many features may not have survived. The features discovered included an earth-cut L-shaped souterrain which measured 20.2m long by 2.06m wide by 1.12m deep. It was situated at the north end of the interior c. 4m south of the rath ditch. Other internal features included three large ashy pits, two smaller pits, three stake-holes, two possible post-holes, a linear stone-lined feature that cut another linear feature and numerous plough furrows, stone drains, a post-medieval cobbled roadway, and a modern gravel trackway with a stone drainage channel beneath.
Outside the rath enclosure were a number of external features, four isolated post-holes, a curvilinear feature that respected the south edge of the rath ditch, two shallow pits and numerous plough furrows and stone drains.
The finds included 76 sherds of medieval souterrain ware pottery, a blue glass bead, a possible gaming piece, part of the top of a rotary disc quern and numerous pieces of post-medieval pottery.
Ring-ditch 1
This ring-ditch is located c. 100m west of the rath on a low-lying area. The internal north to south diameter measures 4.2m and the known internal diameter east to west is 3.5m; it is truncated on the west side by field boundaries/furrows therefore the full extent is unknown. It has been heavily truncated and therefore only very shallow remains survive with a maximum depth of 0.07m. Three sherds of thick course prehistoric pottery were found in the fill of the ring-ditch. No internal features were discovered.
Ring-ditch 2
Ring-ditch 2 is located 14m north of the rath in a prominent hilltop location. It measures internally 9.2m north to south by 7.5m. However, the east to west measurement is not accurate as the ring-ditch was truncated by modern field boundaries and drains on the east and west sides. The ditch measures up to 0.65m deep and up to 2.5m wide. Internally, five stone-lined post-holes were arranged in a circle around the edge near the ditch. In the centre there was a stone-lined east to west-aligned grave; no evidence of bone survived. No evidence of an internal or external bank survived. Thirty-two pieces of unworked flint and one flint scraper were found in the lower ditch fills. A flint arrowhead was discovered in the fill of a shallow linear feature north of the grave-cut. Two small fragments of possibly prehistoric pottery were found in the upper fills of the grave-cut.
Isolated features
A further seven areas of archaeology were scattered further west of the rath, consisting mainly of isolated pit features, some of which were natural, but one, in Area 70, significantly produced fourteen sherds of prehistoric pottery, including three rim sherds and a neck sherd, and two pieces of quartz. It was located some 20m east of Ring-ditch 1.