County: Meath Site name: Loughcrew, Corstown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: ME015-012 Licence number: E4516
Author: Melanie McQuade
Site type: monitoring, no archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 658555m, N 777594m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.729727, -7.144168
OPW works carried out in order to improve access and signage to the main site at Loughcrew were monitored. These works included alteration to the access steps leading from the car park to the site, the excavation of 23 foundation pads for new direction arrows positioned at c. 20m intervals along an alternative route to the top of the hill and of foundation bases for two benches en route to the site. The alternative route was located to the north of the existing route and allowed access through the stile at the south-eastern end of the fence that surrounds the cairns at the top of the hill.
The foundation pads for the signs typically measured 0.4m x 0.4m and 0.48m deep. Bench 1 was located a short distance north of a rock outcrop along the new route and c. 11m from the field boundary. Bench 2 was located in an area of boggy ground just south of the gate in the fence surrounding the cairns at the top of the hill. At each of the bench locations sod was removed from an area 3m x 1.5m x 0.1m deep and a row of three foundation pits (0.7m x 0.4m x 0.25m) were excavated for the insertion of the bench legs.
All excavations were carried out by hand. Ground at the location of the steps had been previously disturbed and no archaeological features were revealed. Excavations for the foundation pads further upslope revealed 0.25-0.3m of topsoil overlying subsoil (orange sandy clay with frequent stones). No archaeological features or finds were identified.
Archaeology Plan, 23 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
