2016:537 - Site 13 (Field 7) Clonee, Meath

Archaeological monitoring of topsoil stripping associated with the development of a data centre at Clonee, Co. Meath commenced in December 2015 and is currently ongoing. The site is situated c. 120m north of the village of Clonee in the townlands of Clonee, Portan and Gunnocks. The site comprised of 14 field of pasture and 4 arable fields bound to the east by the River Pinkeen; which also forms the Meath-Dublin County boundary. Monitoring is being carried as per the approved Monitoring licence 15E0577, directed by David Bayley, in response to planning conditions attached to the development. Monitoring follows on from previous geophysical survey (licence 15R0005) and test trenching with metal detection (licence 15E0109 and 15E0028). Two burnt mound sites (Site 1 and 2) were identified as a result of these investigations which were subsequently excavated under licence 15E0583 by Paul Duffy in February and March 2016.

A number of archaeological features have been identified during monitoring to date across the site for which separate licence numbers have been granted to undertake subsequent excavation.

Site 13 was initially identified during monitoring of a service trench in February 2016 however it was not completely exposed until subsequent adjacent topsoil stripping in July 2016. The site, which was fully excavated, comprised a spread of burnt mound material measuring c. 15m northeast-southwest by 8m northwest-southeast. The deposit survived to a depth of 0.25m. A least three troughs and several pits were associated with the mound. The site is situated to the immediate south of the townland boundary for Clonee and Portan, formed by a small stream. Site 10 is located to the northwest.

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