County: Meath Site name: Ford de Fyne
Sites and Monuments Record No.: ME033–034 Licence number: 08E242 ext.
Author: Rob O’Hara, Archer Heritage Planning, 8 BEaT Centre, Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.
Site type: Mound/barrow
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 711963m, N 760752m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.584679, -6.309009
Additional testing was carried out at the site of a proposed quarry extension at Ford de Fyne, Naul, Co. Meath. Previous assessments had not conclusively located monument ME033–034, whose area of constraint is sited partially within the quarry area. An Bord Pleanála requested the monument be precisely located prior to any grant of permission to allow proper mitigations to be put in place. The original description of the monument (Harnett 1957, 266, No. 19) recorded that it was a kerbed mound which had already been subject to some disturbance and its original height and extent were uncertain. In 1985 a field inspection associated with the development of the Meath Archaeological Inventory stated that no visible traces of the monument could be identified (Moore 1987). Later fieldwork associated with the quarry development, including a phase of testing (R. O’Hara 08E242), did not locate the site.
The location of the site was identified using national grid co-ordinates (31200 260786) supplied by the RMP. This was recorded to be outside the area of proposed development and not on lands owned by Goode Concrete Ltd. The area was heavily overgrown; however, a disturbed possible mound similar to that described by Hartnett was identified close to the point suggested by the RMP (at 312012 260789). Within the quarry area, a total of seven test-trenches were excavated in August 2010 to determine whether archaeological features associated with this possible mound were present. Subsoil was identified beneath 0.2–0.5m of topsoil. No archaeological finds or features were identified.
References
Hartnett, P.J. 1957 Excavation of a passage grave at Fourknocks, Co. Meath. Proceedings of Royal Irish Academy 58C, 197–277.
Moore, M.J. 1987 Archaeological Inventory of Co. Meath. Dublin.
Additional testing was carried out at the site of a proposed quarry extension at Ford de Fyne, Naul, Co. Meath. Previous assessments had not conclusively located monument ME033–034, whose area of constraint is sited partially within the quarry area. An Bord Pleanála requested the monument be precisely located prior to any grant of permission to allow proper mitigations to be put in place. The original description of the monument (Harnett 1957, 266, No. 19) recorded that it was a kerbed mound which had already been subject to some disturbance and its original height and extent were uncertain. In 1985 a field inspection associated with the development of the Meath Archaeological Inventory stated that no visible traces of the monument could be identified (Moore 1987). Later fieldwork associated with the quarry development, including a phase of testing (R. O’Hara 08E242), did not locate the site.
The location of the site was identified using national grid co-ordinates (31200 260786) supplied by the RMP. This was recorded to be outside the area of proposed development and not on lands owned by Goode Concrete Ltd. The area was heavily overgrown; however, a disturbed possible mound similar to that described by Hartnett was identified close to the point suggested by the RMP (at 312012 260789). Within the quarry area, a total of seven test-trenches were excavated in August 2010 to determine whether archaeological features associated with this possible mound were present. Subsoil was identified beneath 0.2–0.5m of topsoil. No archaeological finds or features were identified.
References
Hartnett, P.J. 1957 Excavation of a passage grave at Fourknocks, Co. Meath. Proceedings of Royal Irish Academy 58C, 197–277.
Moore, M.J. 1987 Archaeological Inventory of Co. Meath. Dublin.
