County: Meath Site name: Site 27 (Field 3) Portan
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 16E0373
Author: David Bayley, IAC Ltd
Site type: Pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 704157m, N 741769m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.415752, -6.433168
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 27 was discovered during topsoil stripping of Pond 6 situated centrally in the development area within the townland of Portan. The features comprised two pits. The first pit measured 0.5m x 0.35m x 0.2m and was filled with black silt clay with burnt stone and charcoal inclusions. The second pit measured 0.55m x 0.45m x 0.2m and was filled with similar material than that described above. Numerous other singular pits have been recorded in the wider vicinity as part of these works however the nearest comprises that at Site 8 located c. 75m to the southeast.
IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
