County: Meath Site name: Lagavooren, Drogheda
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 23E0820
Author: Ian Russell, Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit Ltd
Site type: Pits
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 707465m, N 773292m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.698260, -6.372594
Archaeological test trenching was carried out a site at Lagavooren, Drogheda,
Co. Meath. The site measures c. 1.78 hectares and lies on the edge of the town of
Drogheda, just east of the M1 motorway. The proposed development site is within the north-eastern portion of a triangular green field. The site does not contain any monuments listed in the Record of Monuments and Places or in the Sites and Monuments Record. The closest known monument is an embanked barrow (ME020-068-) which was located c. 74m southwest of the site. The site does not contain any Protected Structures as listed in the Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027, nor structures listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH).
No archaeological investigations were previously carried out on this site and the nearest archaeological investigation was located 0.4km west of the site where the excavation of a prehistoric settlement and timber circle under licence 00E0914 took place prior to the construction of the M1 motorway. To the northeast of the
site, monitoring (Licence No. 00E0666) in advance of a housing development uncovered a number of gullies of undetermined date.
Archaeological test trenching was carried out in compliance with a method statement approved by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland. A total of 10 test trenches were excavated (Trench 1, Trench 2, Trench 2a, Trench 3, Trench 3a, Trench 4, Trench 4a, Trench 6, Trench 7, Trench 8), with a small extension also to Trench 7 (Trench 7a). The test trenches were placed within the footprint of the proposed development. Each trench measured 1.8m in width, and in total, 414.5m of linear trenches were excavated. The test trenches were excavated down to the natural subsoil which consisted of a light yellow/brown silty clay with stones. Pockets of pebbles in a mid-blue grey sandy clay were also visible throughout.
Features uncovered included three drains (C100, C101, C102), two ditches (C111, C112), a deposit (C103) and six pits (C104, C106, C107, C108, C109, C110). The drains and ditches were early modern in date. Ditch C111 was parallel with a field boundary as shown on the 25-inch OS Map and modern pottery and plastic were present in ditch C112. Seven of these features (C103, C104, C106, C107, C108, C109, C110) were archaeological in nature and were indicative of burnt mound (fulacht fiadh) activity. The deposit C103 may represent the truncated and ploughed-out remains of a fulacht fiadh and the pits would have been associated with this.
All features should be archaeologically resolved prior to the commencement of any construction works within the site. It is proposed that an area measuring 20m by 20m is stripped of topsoil surrounding the aforementioned features and that they are archaeologically resolved and preserved by record.
Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth. A92 DH99.
