County: Wexford Site name: Monroe 5
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004272
Author: Colum Hardy, for TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Burnt spread, stake-holes and ditch
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 699660m, N 635761m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.464193, -6.533347
Monroe 5 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site was situated in an undulating field which contains a shallow valley orientated north–south beyond the western limits of the road scheme. This valley was marked as containing a stream on early mapping. Five burnt-spread sites (Monroe 1–5) were identified along the eastern bank of the stream.
A burnt spread, measuring 6.71m by 5.85m and with a maximum depth of 0.22m, was found at Monroe 5. The spread was compact dark-grey, charcoal-rich sandy silt which contained a high quantity of heat-affected stone. A subrectangular trough was identified beneath the spread. The trough measured 1.89m by 0.83m, was 0.38m deep and had steep sides with a concave base. The trough was filled with brown/grey sandy silt which contained root activity, small pebbles and charcoal. Fifteen stake-holes were identified along the eastern and south-eastern sides of the trough. The stake-holes appeared to represent some form of windbreak situated along the eastern edge of the trough.
A later post-medieval ditch truncated the western edge of the burnt spread.
