EMAP_Progress_Reports_2009_2.pdf - The Heritage Council

Louth
Newtownbalregan, Co. Louth
Early Medieval Settlement Enclosure
Grid reference: J02150892 (302156/308928)
SMR: N/A
Excavation Licence No: 03E0115
Excavation duration: N/A
Site director: D. Bayley (IAC Ltd.)
Newtownbalregan 6, excavated in advance of the M1 motorway, consisted of a circular
enclosed settlement and an external souterrain which were situated on a high ridge
overlooking the Castletown and Kilcurry river valley. Artefacts from the enclosed settlement
suggest occupation between the seventh and tenth centuries and the souterrain may be
contemporary as they typically date between the eighth and tenth centuries. Contemporary
excavated settlements in proximity to Newtownbalregan 6 included Carn More (Delaney
2003; Roycroft 2005), Tateetra (Hayes 2006), Balriggan (Delaney 2010) and Faughart Lower
(Bowen 2008).
The enclosure measured 46m in internal diameter and had an overall diameter of
approximately 52m. A causewayed entrance, which was 5m wide, was located on its eastern
side.
The enclosure ditch measured between 2m and 4m in width and had a maximum depth of
1.5m. It, notably on its southern side, produced a number of artefacts indicative of
settlement including a copper alloy penannular brooch, two stick pins, three decorated glass
beads and a knife. Animal bone was more plentiful in the western part of the ditch so this
may have been close to where butchering and meat processing occurred. Items of a
functional nature, within the ditch fills, included 32 fragments of souterrain ware and large
numbers of worked flint.
Further evidence for habitation was present within the southern area of the enclosure. This
consisted of a series of postholes and pits; some of which were truncated by each other, but
no recognisable structural plan could be identified.
The souterrain was located 5m to the south-west of enclosure and it followed the incline of
the hill down to the south (Fig. 214). It measured 46m in length and consisted of a number
of galleries, rectangular and corbelled chambers, a drop-hole and an entrance way which
featured one large internal door with jambs and a locking arrangement. Another interesting
component of the souterrain was the reuse of a piece of decorated megalithic art as a
capstone near the entrance to Gallery 3.
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