2008:954 - DULEEK: Abbeyland and Prioryland, Meath

An excavation was carried out between 23 June and 18 July 2008 in the townlands of Abbeyland and Prioryland, Duleek, Co. Meath, in advance of the Meath bundled wastewater collection system rising main. The site was identified beside the eastern side of the R152 road, in a construction wayleave extending south-east from Duleek village, across the River Nanny, towards the wastewater treatment plant. Monitoring by Richard Clutterbuck of CRDS (see No. 952, Excavations 2008, 07E0927) identified two archaeologically significant areas: Area 1 (Prioryland, 305132 268191) and Area 2 (Abbeyland, 305061 268384).

Area 1 was exposed at the southern end of the development wayleave. A single cutting was opened with maximum dimensions of 39m north-west-south-east by 14m. Within this cutting a stone surface was exposed covering an area with maximum dimensions of c. 18m by 9m and with a depth of less than 0.2m. The surface was bounded by a linear ditch and bank to the north which extended beyond the southern and western limit of excavation. The surface was assumed to represent the remains of either a road or a yard surface, possibly of late medieval origin, but in continued use in modified form into the post-medieval period.

Area 2 was located on a small area of ground enclosed by the road to the west, the River Nanny to the south-east and a tributary of the river to the north-east; the area was located immediately north-east of Prioryland Bridge, a 16th-century bridge (ME027–020). The excavation area measured 35m north–south by 12m. A hearth of possible late medieval date, a series of linear gullies, an extensive metalled surface and a post-medieval field boundary wall were exposed within this area. The metalled surface may be part of an earlier road which predates the adjacent modern road.

The finds recovered from the excavation included 360 sherds of pottery ranging in date from late medieval to 19th century, twelve coins requiring conservation before they can be identified, 138 metal objects, ten worked lithics, including four possible stone tools, an embossed clay-pipe bowl, four glass fragments and a single fragment of worked wood.