2009:643 - DOWDSTOWN, Meath

Testing was carried out prior to the construction of Contract 7 (Dowdstown water treatment works and pipelines), which will form part of the Navan mid-Meath water supply scheme. It follows on from a previous testing assessment carried out by Yvonne Whitty and Maeve Tobin of Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (Excavations 2007, No. 1304). During this assessment the site of the proposed water-treatment works and possible pipeline options leading from the site were assessed. A total of 120 trenches were excavated across a test area measuring 174,693m2. This followed a geophysical survey of the proposed development area, which identified a number of possible anomalies along the path of the easternmost pipeline option. Potential archaeological remains were identified within the wayleave of this pipeline option, located c. 90m to the north-east of the pipeline redesign. These consisted of possible enclosures that may represent a habitation site.
Since the original assessment in 2007, a redesign of one of the proposed pipelines associated with the proposed water-treatment works has taken place. This is located within a small area that has not yet been subject to testing, although the area to the immediate east was subject to geophysical survey and testing, where nothing of archaeological significance was discovered. As a result, an extension to the original licence was sought in order to assess this area. The additional testing was carried out during February 2009. A total of ten trenches were excavated across the area requiring assessment. Nothing of archaeological significance was identified during testing.