County: Louth Site name: Avenue Road, Marshes Lower, Dundalk
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 22E0159
Author: Donald Murphy & Ian Russell, Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit Ltd
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 704916m, N 806476m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.996860, -6.399848
Archaeological test trenching was carried out at Avenue Road, Marshes Lower,
Dundalk, Co. Louth. Examination of aerial photographs would suggest that the site has been largely disturbed since the early 2000s. It would appear that the site was covered with gravel/concrete and was utilised as a carpark/storage area by the ESB (ESB buildings to the left of the site).
Archaeological test trenching was carried out by Donald Murphy on 14 March 2022 (Trenches 1-2) and by Ian Russell on 15 March 2022 (Trenches 3-7) following the transfer of the licence.
A total of 7 test trenches were excavated within the site. Each trench measured 1.8m in width, and in total, 393.25m of linear trenches were excavated. The test trenches were excavated down to the natural subsoil, which consisted of a light brown – mid-grey marly clay. The natural clay was exposed below a layer of gravels which had been laid over the whole of the site, which measured between 0.75–1.1m in thickness. The site had obviously been stripped of topsoil at some time in the past for use as a storage area, but due to localized flooding
a deep layer of stone and gravels was first laid above the natural clay on top of a layer of geotextile material.
Natural ground water frequently flooded many of the trenches at an average depth of 1m, in particular in Trenches 1-2 which had to be shortened as a result. The prevalence of a large number of land drains, in particular in the south of the site, also suggests that local flooding was an issue.
No finds or features of archaeological significance were identified.
Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth. A92 DH99.
