County: Meath Site name: Rathcairn
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0920
Author: Denis Shine, Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd, Unit 4, Dundrum Business Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14.
Site type: Medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 674765m, N 763144m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.612789, -6.870087
CRDS Ltd have been retained by Meath County Council to act as the archaeological consultants on the bundled wastewater collection system for County Meath, 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 at Rathcarran/Rathcairn. A total of 6315 linear metres of pipe was laid in and around Rathcairn. Monitoring of these works was completed in July 2008 (see No. 981 above). CRDS were also subsequently retained for the ‘Design, Build and Operate’ or DBO contract for the scheme. In Rathcairn this involved the construction of two pump stations, which required monitoring. These pump stations required a maximum footprint of c. 20m by 20m.
During monitoring works on pump station number 1 in October 2008 a possible medieval field boundary as well as a hearth and furrow/gully of indeterminate date were encountered. Excavation was undertaken under the existing licence from 21 October to 6 November.
Two cuts were evident in the ditch: a smaller shallow ditch cut by a much larger feature. This contained a single sherd of medieval pottery which is thought to date the feature but could also be residual. The upper fill of the ditch contained early modern and modern finds, indicating the feature may have been in use for some time before being completely backfilled. The ditch appears to correspond with a boundary as shown on the 1837 edition of the OS map. This has been removed by the 1909 edition of the map when the boundary is in its current position c. 15m to the south. The removal of the original boundary between 1837 and 1909 may explain the modern finds in its upper fill.
A furrow/gully was located to the south of the ditch. No finds were recovered from this feature but it appears to respect the ditch and so could be contemporary. A small hearth was also recorded. This did not show evidence for intense burning and may be the result of a single burning episode. This feature could be medieval; however two lithic finds were also recovered from the topsoil on-site so this may also be prehistoric in date. Scientific dating will confirm the date of this feature.
