County: Meath Site name: Fidorfe, Co. Meath
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 20E0709
Author: Faith Bailey & Muireann Ni Cheallachan
Site type: Field systems
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 704660m, N 747375m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.466013, -6.423741
An archaeological assessment was carried out at Fidorfe, Co. Meath. Geophysical survey was carried out by JM Leigh surveys (Licence 17R00026) in 2017 and by Target Archaeological survey (Licence 20R0101) in 2020. There is one recorded monument within the proposed development area a classified field system (ME045-019). There are a further two archaeological sites that are due to be added in the next revision of the RMP, a field system (ME045-020) and a ringfort – rath (ME045-024).
Archaeological testing was carried out over a period of four days from 10 December 2020. 55 trenches were excavated totalling 2030m linear metres targeting geophysical anomalies and linear elements that were identified during geophysical survey. Testing revealed three areas of archaeological significance, Archaeological Areas 1-3.
AA1, located in the north-west corner of the proposed development, comprises eight linear features including possible ditches and drainage channels, a metalled surface adjacent to an oval pit feature that together may represent an undated field system with associated features. AA2, located at the eastern extent of the site, comprises a short linear feature, possibly a shallow drainage channel. AA3 comprises two linear ditches and a truncated hearth/charcoal-production pit that may be associated with the undated field system ME045-019, located directly to the south.
The current layout of fields has been created by merging sets of smaller fields into four larger fields. Many of the former field boundaries were generally visible during testing as linear ditches cut into subsoil and filled with mid-brown clays, stones and shrub roots. Due to the levels of water percolating in the subsoil, there had been numerous attempts at draining the fields. A variety of drainage features were noted including gullies, stone-lined drains, earthen-cut drains, clay pipes and gravel drains, all likely to date from 1800, up to the more recent past.
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