Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload/revision: 17 July 2007

Situated on a natural terrace on the SW slope of an E-W ridge. Part of a complex site discovered during land reclamation and partially excavated by C. Manning in 1980 (Manning 1986). Consists of two souterrains (LH017-054004- and LH017-054005-) within an oval enclosure (LH017-054003-) which contained over 50 lintelled graves (LH017-054006-). This is adjudged by the excavator to be the third phase of activity on the site. The second phase is a ringfort (LH017-054002-). The initial phase was an irregularly-shaped enclosure (LH017-054001-) represented by a pennanular ditch, except at S, where there is a steep slope, enclosing an area c. 65m by c. 56m, possibly dating to the fourth century AD. In completing land reclamation the two souterrains were left intact but inaccessible and much of the stratigraphy on the northern half of the site was left undisturbed.(PRIA 86C, 135-81)