Enclosure in Roestown (ratoath By.)

While the large enclosure, rath and burial ground are preserved under introduced soil in a green area all the available external area was excavated (15E0125) under the direction of S. McGlade in 2018-19 (excavations.ie 2019:474). Three ditches form an annexe attached to the S of the fosse of the rath or the large enclosure. The first two are closely parallel and enclose a subrectangular space (dims c. 60m E-W; c. 10m N-S at W to c. 25m N-S at E), although all features could only be excavated at their E and W extremities. The original ditch (Wth 1.4m; D 0.28m) was cut by a ditch (Wth 1.04m; D 0.81m) on the same line that had a stone lining on its N side and extended slightly further to the W than the original ditch. While the original ditch was cut by the outer ditch of the SW annexe, the second iteration of this feature was not, which suggests that there was a time lapse between these ditches of the S annexe although they follow a similar line. The fill of the second ditch included a complete cow skull and this ditch was re-cut once. At the W end the ditch was V-shaped and rock-cut with a stone lining at the base that may be the fracturing of the bedrock but it petered out at the W end. The ditch runs through the area of the S rectangular annexe but its relationship with that enclosure could not be established. However, it stopped 2.5m short of the SW annexe, leaving an entrance gap and intimating that these enclosures are contemporary. At the other end of the enclosed area the second of these ditches was cut by the ditch of the E annexe. In the final phase the annexe was enlarged considerably at the W end by placing a third ditch c. 8-10m outside the second at the W end, but the E end of this ditch is thought to return to the fosse of the outer enclosure at the same point as the two earlier versions. Another substantial ditch (Wth 2.28m; D 0.9m) that departs from the fosse of the large enclosure at E and swings S could have connected with the third ditch and extended the E end of the enclosure further N but this junction was outside the excavated area. (McGlade 2020, vol. 1, 243-252) See the attached image from McGlade (2020 vol. 1, p 208) Compiled by: Micahel Moore Date of upload: 3 May 2020