Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the crest of a N-facing slope down to a small W-E tributary on the S side of of the Broad Meadow River in a fairly level landscape, and it is just E of the ditched barrow (ME045-034----). Archaeological excavation (03E1526) from January to June 2004 by D. J. O’Connor at Site 19 in advance of the N2 Finglas – Ashbourne road and by-pass recorded a complex of prehistoric and early historic features (excavations.ie 2004:1249). The Early Medieval period is represented by a D-shaped enclosure (max. int. dims c. 21m NE-SW; c. 20m NW-SE) defined by a single V-shaped ditch (Wth c. 1.75m; D 0.58-0.85m) with a possible entrance (Wth c. 5m) at S where the fosse narrows to a slot-trench. No internal features can be associated with the fosse but it is connected with elements of a field system that extends off to the E. The straight sides are at NE and NW, and the latter truncates slightly the fosse of the ditched-barrow. Samples from the enclosure ditch produced a C14 date of 600-710 cal. AD. All the features were cut by modern drains running down the slope. (O’Connor 2008, 49-54)

See the attached plan (N at top left) from O'Connor (2008, fig. 10)

compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 17 December 2021

O’Connor, D. J. 2008 N2 Finglas – Ashbourne Road Scheme. Report on archaeological excavation of Site 19 Harlockstown, County Meath. Licence No. 03E1526. Unpublished report, CRDS (V 1 text)