County: Meath Site name: Lagore Road, Dunshaughlin
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 18E0488
Author: Kim Rice, Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy
Site type: Early medieval and medieval ditches
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 696960m, N 752392m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.512558, -6.538117
A programme of archaeological testing was carried out on a greenfield site that is bordered by the Lagore Road to the north, Main Street, Dunshaughlin to the west, and by an Arrow hardware shop and associated service yard to the south and south-west. The site occurs within the Zone of Archaeological Potential for Dunshaughlin Village. Other recorded monuments nearby include St Secundinus’ Church and graveyard, c. 145m to the north-west. The ecclesiastical site is located on a broad low hill that was enclosed by two concentric ditches during the early medieval period. The outline of the larger outer enclosure is partially retained via the alignment of Main Street, which curves from north, to west to south-west around the church and graveyard.
A total of seventeen test trenches were opened, which incorporated a total length of 239m. The assessment uncovered a substantial number of archaeological features in the south-west part of the application area. These included a substantial ditch that curved gradually from west-north-west to east-south-east. It is tentatively suggested, that given the location, size and orientation of the feature, that it may be representative of the outer enclosure ditch of the early medieval church of St Sechnall. A second large ditch ran from north-north-east to south-south-west through Trench 1, Trench 13 and Trench 14, while another two ditches extended from east to west through Trench 10, Trench 12 and Trench 14. It is suggested these may be medieval in date due to the presence of local medieval wares in the fills. Consequently, it is posited that these three ditches may delineate former medieval property boundaries associated with the medieval settlement of Dunshaughlin (ME044033).
A series of field drains and furrows of uncertain date were identified in Trenches 1–4 and Trench 7, while the eastern half of the tested area produced deep rubble deposits that resulted from the demolition of the former farmhouse and associated outbuildings during the latter half of the twentieth century. However, given the size and character of the ditches uncovered to the west there is a high probability that they extend east beneath the modern rubble deposits.
Lynwood House, Balinteer Rd., Dublin 16, D16 H9V6
