2025:078 - Cluain Loinn, Oldcastle, Meath

Test excavations (Test Trenching) was carried out in January of 2025 ahead of a proposed development at Cluain Loinn, Oldcastle, Co. Meath.
Two of the proposed trenches could not be excavated due to the present of a large soil mound and the area. Additionally, an area which contained 6 proposed trenches was stripped to natural under supervision of the archaeologist to allow for site and vehicular access to the site. The remaining 11 test trenches, totalling 552.2 linear meters, were all excavated to natural by a mechanical excavator with a toothless grading bucket.

The site has been highly disturbed, likely due to the development of the housing estate adjacent and to the north. This was especially evident to the west of the site with a layer comprising of a highly disturbed greyish-brown silty gravel with modern rubbish and construction debris throughout, directly below the topsoil. Below this debris layer was an undisturbed grey gravel with moderate stone and occasional large boulders, with pockets of yellowish-grey silty clay.
The disturbance was evident across the site, although lessening from west to east. Only two trenches appeared to be in an area that had not been subjected to any recent disturbance. These trenches were located directly adjacent and to the north of a water course that runs along the southern boundary of the site. The ground was c.2m lower than the west of the site, the same as the water level. Here, the topsoil was above a waterlogged, boggy layer comprising mostly of a dark black clay with decaying vegetation. Natural ground was not observed in this area due to rising water flooding the trenches.
No archaeological features were identified in any of the excavated trenches. All objects recovered during the investigations were modern and likely originated from the construction and land clearance associated with the building of the housing estate to the north.
As a result, the site is considered as having no archaeological potential and no further mitigation is required.