2025:395 - Downestown, Meath

The site at Downestown, Duleek, was archaeologically assessed and involved the excavation of fourteen trenches within the site, each measuring 1.8m in width with a total of 2347m of linear trenches excavated. The trenches were positioned to assess the archaeological potential across the site within areas of proposed development. Two east-west aligned field boundary ditches evident on the 1909 OS 25-inch map were exposed in several of the trenches. Numerous stone-filled east-west land drains were also evident across the site, indicative of extensive drainage works. The subsoil was exposed in all trenches below the sod and topsoil at an average depth of 0.35m. It varied from a mottled orange and grey boulder clay with plentiful broken stone throughout to a black sandy clay and grey marl in the north-east corner of the site. Rock outcrops were visible at the south-east end of the site with one small outcrop near the centre of the field.

No archaeological features or deposits were identified within the excavated trenches, and no finds were recovered. The work is now complete, and no further mitigation is necessary.