County: Cavan Site name: Abbey Land
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 21E042
Author: Ciara MacManus
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 641826m, N 804760m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.990399, -7.362201
A pre-development archaeological evaluation in the form of machine-cut test trenches was carried out at the site of proposed Abbeylands Regeneration Project, Cavan town, Co. Cavan. The proposed scheme is located within the historic town of Cavan which owes its origins to the establishment of an ecclesiastic site in 1300AD and later the centre of O’Reilly rule with the establishment of a castle to the north with further development as a Plantation town in the 17th century. The Abbey Land townland around which the proposed development is centred represents a reference to the historic siting of the medieval abbey (CV020-055-002) in this location and while little archaeological evidence for medieval or post-medieval occupation has been discovered during recent times as a result of archaeological investigations within Cavan town itself, human remains were encountered during archaeological investigations to the rear of McCaul’s Bar at 36 Bridge Street in 2000 which are thought to be associated with the graveyard associated with the medieval monastic site.
A total of 5 machine-dug test trenches were excavated under archaeological supervision throughout various locations within the proposed project area primarily centred within Phases 1 & 2 development to the south, east and west of the existing Abbeylands walled graveyard. Test trenching revealed that up to 1.4 – 1.7m of infill material survives immediately to the south and west of the Abbeylands graveyard, overlying natural subsoil. Further towards Main Street to the west and Bridge Street to the east infill material survived to a depth of 0.8m lying directly on to a natural glacial till subsoil. No archaeological features were identified within the Test Trenches 2 & 5, however the remains of partial burials were identified within Trenches 3 & 4 immediately to the south of the existing graveyard wall along with two potential subsoil-cut ditches and other smaller archaeological features. The burials and archaeological ditches were preserved in situ.
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