2024:171 - Castle Street, Killegland, Ashbourne, Meath

Archaeological test trenching was carried out ahead of a proposed development at Castle Street, Killegland, Ashbourne, Co. Meath. The site comprised a roughly rectangular plot, bound by residential properties to the south and east, a pre-school to the west and Castle Street to the north. Derelict buildings were located to the north, with two large overgrown spoil mounds directly south. The area south of these was heavily overgrown.
A total of six trenches were excavated across the site, measuring a total distance of 251.28 linear meters. The depths of the trenches varied between 0.6m and 1.5m, with the topsoil shallower to the north and west of the site. To the south of two derelict houses to the northeast of the site, the topsoil contained a large
concentration of modern waste, including plastics, metal fencing, tyres, bags of clothing, mattresses and other debris. This is likely to have been created close to the disuse of the dwellings and possible clearance of the same.
The natural material consisted mostly of light greyish-brown sandy clay with frequent angular and sub-angular stones. To the north and closer to the derelict buildings, it was a mid-greyish brown silty clay with the same stone inclusions.
Despite the site's proximity to known archaeological sites to the north and west, the archaeological assessment did not find any previously unrecorded archaeological features or artefacts. The natural subsoils were exposed in all trenches, with only modern debris and waste found within the topsoil. This is likely
associated with land clearance and waste from the modern buildings to the north of the site. As a result, the development will have no archaeological impact, and no further mitigation is required.

Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth. A92 DH99.