Archaeological excavation report, 03E1359 Kilshane Site 5 Vol 2 Appendices, County Dublin

The site detailed in this report (Site 5, Kilshane), was excavated for Meath County Council as part of the N2 Finglas–Ashbourne Road Scheme, and consisted of a large ditched enclosure, curvilinear ditch-works and a large number of pits and other cut features. These range in date from the Middle Neolithic, through the Bronze Age, with later Medieval and Modern features. Site 5 was uncovered and excavated as part of the N2 Finglas-Ashbourne Road Scheme. The site was located near the southern boundary of the townland of Kilshane, (NGR 311000E, 242900N), c.10km southeast of Ashbourne town and c. 4km from Finglas in Dublin. At this location, the townland of Kilshane borders the three townlands of Newtown, Dunsoghly and Broghan. Excavation of the site was carried out, under the direction of Dermot G. Moore on behalf of CRDS Ltd. (licence no. 03E1359ext), between 15th March and 22nd July 2004, resulting in the resolution of the archaeological features within the roads Compulsory Purchase Order footprint, and preservation by record of the site. The site was set atop slight gravel ridge in a gently undulating landscape northwest of the N2-Kilshane Road junction. The area has been subject to land improvements and the construction of a large commercial greenhouse, as well as intensive arable farming; the main field through which the new N2 Finglas – Ashbourne road will run was under barley at the time of the excavations. Excavation took place in three main areas, Site 5a, 5b and 5c. In Site 5a, a large irregular ditched enclosure with a number of smaller cut features including a burial and possible cremations was revealed. Excavation of Site 5b uncovered a burnt linear feature of at present unknown function. Site 5c produced a long causewayed ditch with a small series of possibly associated features. The irregular-shaped ditched enclosure was constructed during the middle Neolithic by connecting a series of segments of varying length. This method of construction is very similar to that used on causewayed enclosures in Britain. Soon after the ditch was cut, it began to silt up (sometimes irregularly) around its circumference. Probably at this stage an outer segmented ditch with at least two defined causeways was constructed in the area designated as Site 5c to the northwest. The exposed length of this ditch showed it to have a sinuous, and possibly arcing line, and while it may have been concentric to the enclosure no trace of it was found in the test trenches opened