Ritual site — pond in Monknewtown

Situated on a slight SE-facing slope in a fairly level landscape c. 325m SW of Monknewtown henge (ME019-016001-). This is known as Site W (O’Kelly 1978, 64) and is a circular sunken area (diam. 51m E-W; 47.5m N-S) defined by a massive earthen bank (at W: Wth of base 14.4m; Wth of top 3.4m; int. H 2.6m; ext. H 1.9m; at E: Wth of base 19m; int. H 2.6m; ext. H 2.3m) and a wide outer fosse (at W: Wth of top 28m; Wth of base 12m; ext. D 1.4m) that is largely silted up. A modern N-S drain cuts through the interior and the centre is water-logged. This drain is cut through the bank at S and turns E, leaving the outer fosse at SE to turn S. No entrance feature is present. Archaeological testing (98E0424) by R. Swan c. 100m to the N produced no related material (excavations.ie 1998:513; 1999:697). A magnetic gradiometer survey (10R0122) in the field W of the monument SE-W-NW identified a small rectangular ditched enclosure (dims c. 17m NE-SW; 6.5m NW-SE) with rounded corners and a central gap in the short SW side just outside the SW edge of the fosse. There were hints of a larger outer rectangular enclosure around it. A second rectangular ditched feature (dims c. 37m ENE-WSW; c. 33m NNW-SSE), lacking a boundary on its N side is outside the S edge of the fosse. It has some internal divisions, and is connected with a ditch extending off to the S from its SE angle. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) conducted on a N-S transect recorded low resistivity of the interior of the pond to a depth of c. 2m, suggesting that it might be quite shallow but a narrow band of low resistance immediately outside the bank at N intimates that a silted drain surrounds the bank all the way around on the outside. (Barton 2010) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 10 July 2007 Amended: 28 January 2021 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 2/1976).