Man-made underground passage in Athlumney

Situated at the W edge of a fairly level landscape and at the crest of a steep SW-facing slope down (H c. 12m) to a SSE-NNW portion of the River Boyne. Two sections of Man-made underground passage passage c. 15m part had been identified in the face of a sand and gravel quarry during a field inspection for an EIS in 1995. Archaeological testing (97E0322) by E. E. Sullivan in the wider development area (c. 7 ha) failed to produce any related material (excavations.ie 1997:424), but the two Man-made underground passages (ME025-049001-; ME025-049002-) were investigated (98E0596) by C. Jones (1999) when two further portions of passage came to light c. 30m and c. 75m to the NE (excavations.ie1999:701) as well as evidence of a multi-phase settlement complex that was later investigated (07E0892) by J. Hession (excavations.ie 2007:1255). This Man-made underground passage (3) was c. 15m S of (ME025-049001-) and only the tops of the side-walls were exposed. It consists of the W wall of a passage (L 6.5m) that might have been entered at the N end but at the S end of the exposed passage there is either a small chamber or the passage might turn E. The sloping cut of the construction trench was also recorded in section, but no habitation material or enclosing feature can be associated with it. Four sherds of medieval pottery and some fragments of bone were recovered from the excavation trench that are not necessarily related to the Man-made underground passage, which is preserved in situ. The top of this Man-made underground passage was also uncovered by Hession (2009, 67) in his exploration of the area. (Jones 1999, 5, 6) See the attached site plan (_01) from Hession (2009, fig. 10) ) and Man-made underground passage plan (_02) from Jones (1999, fig. 16) Complied by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 30 March 2023 Jones, C. 1999 Archaeological Excavations of Man-made underground passages and Associated Features at the IDA Business Park, Athlumney, Navan. Licence: 98E0596. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co. Hession, J. 2009 Final Archaeological Report for the multiphase archaeological landscape preserved in situ at IDA Business and Technology Park, Dublin, Rd., Navan, Co. Meath. Licence: 07E0892. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co. Sullivan, E. E. 1998 Archaeological Test Excavation at Athlumney House, Kilcarn, Navan, Co. Meath. Licence: 97E0322. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co.