County: Meath Site name: St Martha’s College (Sion House), Johnstown/Athlumney, Navan
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 12E037
Author: Antoine Giacometti
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 689262m, N 766834m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.643673, -6.650018
A programme of geophysical survey and test-trenching was carried out in February 2012 in the grounds of St Martha’s College/Sion House (Protected Structure) to the south-east of Navan. These works were undertaken in advance of a proposed school development (Rapid Schools Delivery 2013) on the site, which is situated in the townland of Alexander Reid and bounded by modern suburban development (‘Beechlawn’ and ‘Birchlawns’ in the Johnstown Woods housing estate) to the west and by the L5050 road to the east.
A desktop study had indicated the site had a high archaeological potential, but the geophysical survey (JM Leigh 12R20) found no evidence of significant sub-surface archaeology.
Twenty test-trenches identified eighty-four features of possible archaeological interest. These included a large bank and ditch in the south-east of the site, which had been previously highlighted as being of high archaeological potential. The feature was hand-excavated and based on finds under the bank and inside the ditch can be dated approximately to the 18th century and interpreted as a demesne landscape feature or a former townland boundary. The eighty-four identified features were investigated and eighty-three of them were demonstrated to be of no archaeological interest. The eighty-fourth was morphologically interesting but contained no occupation material or dateable evidence; its isolated nature suggests that it should also be interpreted as a non-archaeological feature.
The report concludes that the only archaeological material on the site comprises the standing historical buildings of Sion House, St Martha’s College, the stable block and a building north of this with a cast-iron roof (the front gates may also be of archaeological interest if they are original, but they are probably not). The first three of these are Protected Structures and the first two are being retained within the new school scheme. As a result, the only further recommendation made was that a drawn and photographic record be made of the stable block and a building north of this with a cast-iron roof prior to demolition.
Archaeology Plan, 32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
