Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Field system
Merrywell (Ratoath By.), County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Merrywell (Ratoath By.)
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.50025, -6.59303
- SMR number
- ME044-068002-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1799 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1830 · V.3:11-15:XV. Britisches Reich. C. Kon: Ireland. a. Prov: Leinster. Counties: 1-12 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated on a slight S-facing slope. Archaeological centre-line testing (04E0483) by T. O’Neill of Testing Area 21, Contract 1, prior to the construction of the M3 motorway and associated works (excavations.ie: 2004:1228) identified archaeological material, which was subsequently excavated (E003051) by A. O’Connell as Merrywell 1 in Knockmark parish between August and October 2005 (excavations.ie 2005:AD13).
The well (ME044-0068001-) spills into a boundary ditch (Wth c. 2.6m; D c. 1.2m) that extends off to the SE, accompanied by a slighter, post-medieval gully (Wth 1.65m; D 0.38m) 3m to the SW. Further S a similar post-medieval gully diverges from the medieval ditch on the E side, the gap widening as it proceeds S. There is another boundary ditch (Wth c. 2.25m; D c. 0.5m) on the same alignment c. 45m to the NE, and a sample from it produced a radiocarbon determination of 1174-1281 cal. AD and is probably a reasonable date for the fields. Some furrows aligned on these boundaries were also recorded. A later iteration of the NE boundary ditch is c. 10m to the SW and produced a late medieval assemblage but a post-medieval date of 1663-1953 cal. AD. Both the medieval boundaries were cut by a NE-SW gully (Wth 1.85m; D 0.75m) and ditch (Wth 3m; D 1m) that are barely 1m apart, and the post-medieval gully accompanying the principal medieval boundary ditch feeds into this gully. The ditches, filled with yellow-grey-brown silty and stony clays, produced copious quantities of high medieval material including iron nails, Leinster cooking ware and Dublin-type wares with residual prehistoric flints. (O’Connell and Ginn 2009, 3-4)
See the attached plan of the field drains from O'Connell and Ginn (2009, fig. 7)
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 10 December 2021
O’Connell, A. & V. Ginn 2009 M3 Clonee - North of Kells, Contract 1 Clonee – Dunshaughlin. Final Report on the Archaeological Excavation of Merrywell 1, Co. Meath. Licence: E003051. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services OD 108.03m; (693296, 751001) Well No for RMP 693344, 750928 for charcoal clamp
O’Neill, T. 2004 M3 Clonee – North of Kells, Contract 1, Report on Archaeological Assessment at Testing Area 21, Merrywell, County Meath. Licence: 04E0483. Unpublished report, Archaeological Consultancy Services
Nearby in the register
- Charcoal-making siteunder 1 mi
- Wellunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Barrow - mound barrowunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.