2023:113 - Trinity Close, Dundalk St, Liberties of Carlingford, Carlingford, Louth

Test excavation was undertaken here on 18 May 2023. Dense vegetation, boundary walls and a concrete plinth and foundation of a demolished building resulted in 2 trenches measuring a total of 15.5m linear metres being excavated instead of the proposed 20m.
In both trenches a topsoil/sod measuring up to 0.2m deep comprising humic silt, roots and rubbish was recorded. A modern levelling layer was also noted below the sod, comprising pebbles in a dark sandy clay matrix, measuring up to 0.2m, in Trench 2 this layer also comprised paving slabs. Finally a garden/built-up levelling layer was recorded, varying in depth from 0.1-0.45 depending on the undulation of the subsoil. The subsoil comprised glacial deposit of friable sandy gravel and stones.
In Trench 1 an articulated adult cow burial was recorded; the cut of the hole measured c.1.2m x 0.8m. There were no artefacts associated with this burial and it was left in situ. It is assumed to be modern due to the hole cut truncating garden level C3.

In the northern half of Trench 2, beneath the dense vegetation and thick sod, the concrete plinth of a modern structure (C6) and its rubble drainage layer and breeze block foundations was recorded. These were built on top of subsoil and had truncated all previous layers.
The town wall was not located within the subject area. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered during test excavations.

Unit 1 Tenure Business Park, Monasterboice, Co. Louth