2016:544 - Site 19 (Field 3), Portan, Meath

Monitoring of topsoil stripping associated with the development of a data centre at Clonee, Co. Meath commenced in December 2015 and is currently (September 2017) 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 out under 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 19 was identified in early April 2016 as a rectilinear ditch within the northern townland boundary for Portan. The exposed feature comprised c. 17m length of a north-west/south-east oriented ditch with a right angle turn north-east/south-west. The ditch measured 1.2m in width and c. 0.45-0.6m in depth with gradual sloping sides and rounded base. It was filled by two silty clay deposits and two sherds of abraded pottery of possible medieval date were recovered from the upper fill (c. 0.2m deep). The ditch continues into Field 18 in the north where is truncated by a modern ditch. Several pits were identified c. 50-100m south and south-west at Sites 17 and 18.

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