Field boundary in Dollas Lower

On a steep, W-facing slope, in pasture, 105m to W of a townland boundary with Dollas. Not depicted on OS historic mapping. Identified as a feature (BGE 3/67/5) during topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West (Grogan et. al. 2007). Excavated in 2002 by Kate Taylor under Licence No. 02E0632 and described as ‘A large north–south-aligned ditch was visible for a length of 14m, although it probably extended beyond the excavated area in both directions. Four slots were excavated, measuring 6.85m in combined length. For most of its length the ditch was c. 2m wide; however, a short stretch toward the southern end measured 2.75m. The sides were generally steeply concave, although the wider section to the south had a more gently concave profile. The base was roughly flat, and the ditch was 0.65–0.86m deep. The stratigraphy of the fills was fairly consistent along the length of the ditch, although not all deposits were seen in all slots. The primary and secondary fills were silty clays, probably the result of natural silting. A dark grey/brown layer containing charcoal overlay the silting; this was overlain by a deposit of large stones. Finally, a thin deposit of mid-orange silty clay, similar to the lower fills, overlay the stones in places. Eight artefacts were recovered, almost all from the dark layer or the upper fill. Three ceramic items consisted of a sherd of green-glazed pottery that appears to be medieval and two fragments of coarse pottery, fired clay or daub. A fragment of post-medieval bottle glass was found in the upper fill. Three pieces of bone and an oyster shell complete the assemblage. The size of this isolated ditch is unlike those of most of the post-medieval drainage features encountered in the area and is more suggestive of a boundary feature. It is possible that, despite the post-medieval glass in the upper fill, the feature was an earlier boundary ditch, perhaps medieval in date. The deposit of large stones may indicate deliberate backfilling of the ditch, which at that stage had largely silted up. The stones may have derived from a demolished wall or agricultural improvement, a practice that was common from the late 18th century onward’ (Taylor 2004, 317). Monument has been fully excavated and is not visible on OSi aerial orthimage taken 2005-2012, on Digital Globe orthophoto taken 2011-2013 or on Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018. See attached Google Earth orthoimage Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 23 October 2020