Man-made underground passage in Ferganstown and Ballymacon

Located at the W edge of a fairly level landscape and at the crest of a steep slope down (H c. 12m) to the flood-plain of a S-N section of the River Boyne. The area of a proposed water-treatment plant (dims c. 360m NNW-SSE; c. 60-100m ENE-WSW) was comprehensively tested (91E0007) by D. L. Swan (excavations.ie 1991:102), but a Man-made underground passage passage came to light at the extreme SW edge of the development in January 1999. It was archaeologically investigated (99E0178) by K. Hanley (1999, 8-12) and consists (excavations.ie 1999:687) of a passage (L 3.3m; H 1m) with seven lintels extending W and sloping down to a subcircular beehive chamber (dims 2.65m N-S; 2.2m E-W; H 1.7m). From the entrance a second passage extended N but this passage did not survive. It was possible to preserve the chamber and the adjacent part of the passage. Some furrows and ditches (ME025-058002-) and a circular structure (ME025-058003-) were also recorded. Further monitoring (20E0575) by J. McCarthy (2021) produced no further material (excavations.ie 2020:309). See the attached plan from Hanley (1999, fig. 4) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 30 March 2023 Hanley, K. 1999 A stratigraphic report on the limited excavation & testing of part of an exposed Man-made underground passage, in the townland of Ferganstown and Ballymacon, Navan, Co. Meath. Licence: 99E0178. Unpublished report, Author McCarthy, J. 2021 Archaeological Monitoring Report at Ferganstown and Ballymacon WWTP, Co. Meath. Licence: 20E0576. Unpublished report, Mizen Archaeology Swan, D. L. 1991 Archaeological Investigation at Ferganstown and Ballymacon, Navan, Co. Meath. Licence: 91E0007. Unpublished report, Author