2018:553 - St. Seachnall's Road, Dunshaughlin, Meath

Pre-development testing was carried out at St. Seachnall’s Road, Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath from 11-15 January 2018. The proposed development site lies partly within the area of archaeological constraint for ME044-033 (Historic town) and immediately east of the area of constraint for ME044-033(02-11), the site of an early Christian monastery founded by St. Seachnall in the 5th century.
Four test trenches (L 75-235m; Wth 2m) were opened from west to east across the green field site. Testing revealed considerable ground disturbance within the initial 20m in the western portion of the site, which is co-extensive with the location of buildings and associated property boundaries indicated on early Ordnance Survey maps. Vaguely-discernible linear features (L 40-50m; Wth 0.7-0.9m) were uncovered in the east of the site. The fills consisted of light grey/brown clayey silts and were sterile apart from very occasional inclusions of animal bone fragments, post-medieval/modern pottery sherds and corroded iron objects (twisted wire and nails/bolts). A meandering, gently curving east-west linear feature (L c. 100m; Wth. 1.5m) was also uncovered in the west of the site. The fill was similar to that of the other linear features and yielded a similar range of post-medieval/modern finds. The linear features are probably associated with land reclamation and agricultural activity in the post-medieval period. Occasional post-medieval/modern finds were also recovered from the upper 0.1-0.2m of the subsoil in the eastern extent of the site. It seems likely that this area was subject to flooding as it lies close to the west shore of the reclaimed Little Lagore Lough. No archaeological material was uncovered during testing.

Dominic Delany & Associates, Creganna, Oranmore, Co. Galway