2019:416 - Dunshaughlin, Meath

Phased archaeological monitoring was carried out on a development site at Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath over a period of four days between 20 February and 9 April 2019. The development comprised the demolition of 2 dwellings and several associated sheds, and the construction of 10 new dwellings. The site is located immediately north-east of the area of archaeological constraint for the historic town of Dunshaughlin (ME044-033), and c.180m north-east of the site of an Early Christian monastery founded by St. Seachnall in the 5th century. Pre-development testing was carried out on the adjoining site to the south in 2018 but nothing of archaeological interest was found (2018:553).
Monitoring revealed several areas of disturbance as a result of previous developments at the site. In the undisturbed areas the general stratigraphy comprised of grey/brown clayey silt topsoil (average thickness 0.5m) over light yellow/brown clay/sand subsoil. The topsoil was quite sterile in the east of the site but less so in the former garden area and in the vicinity of the recently-demolished dwellings in the west part of the site. Finds from the topsoil consisted mainly of modern pottery wares of 19th- and 20th-century date but occasional medieval and post-medieval potsherds were also found. A total of five sherds of medieval pottery were recovered, all of which were found on the site of House No. 8 in the south-west of the site. Two fitting sherds were found on the surface prior to excavation and a further three sherds were recovered from the topsoil during monitoring of excavations. The pottery appears to be of the type generally classified as ‘Leinster Ware’. No features were uncovered and the potsherds may well have been imported onto the site in modern times. No archaeological features were found.

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