Enclosure — large enclosure in Roestown (ratoath By.)

Situated towards the top of a gentle S-facing slope. A magnetic gradiometer survey (09R0089) by D. Harrison identified numerous archaeological features in a field on the N side of the R125 leading W from Dunshaughlin and c. 1km from the centre of the village and the site of St Seachnall’s monastery (ME044-033002-). They include a large circular enclosure defined by two fosses separated by a berm, which are interpreted here as a rath inside a large enclosure. In addition there were at least two external enclosures and one internal enclosure as well as a possible ring-ditch located c. 90m outside the rath to the NE. Targeted archaeological testing (09E0214) by J. Hession and C. Moriarty (2009) confirmed the presence of the large enclosure and rath, whose internal enclosure proves to be a burial ground. These features are now preserved in situ beneath introduced soil that has been landscaped into a wide outer bank and a raised platform over the burial ground within Dún Ríoga housing estate. From the gradiometer survey the central feature consists of a large rath (diam. c. 68m), the entrance to which is not recognized in the gradiometer survey although it may be at S where there might be a break in the fosse. The large enclosure (dims c. 96m E-W; c. 84m N-S) also appears to have no visible entrance but the perimeter at S might be combined with that of the rath. There is a rectangular annexe (dims c. 40m N-S; c. 35m E-W) attached to the fosse of the large enclosure at N, and an elongated rectangular one (L c. 50m; Wth c. 15-30m) attached to the fosse of the rath/large enclosure at S, while elements of a rectangular field system could be attached to the same feature at S. The small D-shaped enclosure (dims c. 38m E-W; c. 34m N-S) within the rath is defined by a ditch that appears to be attached to the fosse of the rath at NNE and that of the large enclosure at E. This proved to contain multiple burials testifying to its use as a burial ground. The inner and middle fosses revealed by the gradiometer survey were tested at NW where the outer fosse (Wth 2.4m; D 0.89m plus) was filled with brown silty clays that contained some small to medium-sized stones and occasional pieces of bone. Just 2.1m to its SE was a gully (Wth 1.18m), perhaps marking the inner edge of a bank, and a berm (Wth 13m) separated this from the middle fosse (Wth 3m; D 0.54m) that has four fills including a layer of stones. These features were also tested at NE where the outer fosse (Wth 6m) has a gully (Wth 0.7m; D 0.25m) c. 1m inside it. The berm (Wth 9m) separates this from the middle fosse (Wth 4m) which here also forms the boundary of the burial ground, and disarticulated human bone was on top of its fill (Hession and Moriarty 2009, 21). An excavation trench inside the middle fosse at S identified numerous post-holes, pits and a possible kiln (dims 2m x 0.7m) that was keyhole-shaped (ibid. 19). The N enclosure or annexe was defined by a ditch (Wth 4m) at W that was quite shallow (D 0.1m) at its outer edge but there was a deeper re-cut (Wth 1.3m; D 0.45m) on the inner side. There was a small amount of metal slag in its fill. Within the enclosure three E-W ditches were recognized, two of which (Wth 1.4m; 1.3m) were not excavated but the central one (Wth 3.3m; D 0.7m plus) produced large amounts of charcoal and slag. The large enclosure, together with the rath and burial ground, are preserved as a green area under introduced soil, but the available area outside it was subsequently completely excavated (15E0125) by S. McGlade (2020) from June 2018 to February 2019 (excavations.ie 2019:474) where the features are described for convenience as being in Readsland although they are on an extension of ground from Roestown townland, which lies mainly to the W. Only a preliminary report has been prepared to date, with the result that radiocarbon dates and a scheme outlining the developmental phases of the monument is not yet available. This excavation included parts of the fosse of the large enclosure, often just its outer edge, which was sampled at various points. It has a complex stratigraphy with phases of silting, back-filling and re-cutting as well as complex interactions with the ditches of the annexes. Entrances are confirmed or strongly suspected at SW, NW, E and SE. A metalled surface (Wth 2.1m) with a line of kerbstones parallel with the sides of the ditch was laid over the silted ditch at NW with Path 5, a metalled surface (L 10.5m), approaching it externally from the W. An iron pin was retrieved from the surface of the path, and this entrance was retained for a considerable period. The large enclosure surrounds a subcircular area (dims c. 96m E-W; c. 84m N-S) that is not truly concentric with the rath as its fosse merged with that of the rath S-SW. Its fosse might not be the first attempt to enclose added space around the rath as it is possible that the curvilinear annexes at E, S, SW and W that are largely contemporary with each other may have had ditches extending to the fosse of the rath that survive in the unexcavated portion. Therefore, it is possible that these were subsequently cut by the fosse of the large enclosure, while the rectilinear enclosures to the N and S appear to be later and to spring from the fosse of the large enclosure or from those of the curvilinear annexes. The large enclosure, together with the burial ground and the rath, are preserved in a green area beneath introduced soil that has been landscaped into a wide outer bank and a platform over the burial ground within Dún Ríoga housing estate. (McGlade 2020, vol. 1, 111-22) See the attached results of the gradiometer survey from Hession and Moriarty (2009, fig. 8) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 3 May 2022