부산대학교 도서관

Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. (IAC Ltd.), funded by Louth County Council and the National Roads Authority, undertook an excavation under licence to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Irish Antiquities Division of the National Museum of Ireland in the townland of Balregan c. 2km northwest of Dundalk in advance of the construction of the M1 Dundalk Western Bypass (DWB). The excavation was undertaken to ensure any previously unrecorded subsoil archaeological remains were preserved by record in advance of the construction phase of the motorway. The site was identified during archaeological test trenching undertaken by IAC in March 2002 (Delaney 2002, License Ref.: 02E0373). Site 119, Balregan 3 & 4 was located near the base of a gently sloping valley on the eastern side of the Kilcurry River, overlooking a millpond associated with an adjacent mill. The mill, known as Scotch Green Mill, was located 50 metres to the southeast and was also subject to archaeological investigations as part of the DWB Scheme as Site 118, Balregan 5 & 6 under Licence 03E0159. Resolution of Balregan 3 & 4 began on 14th May 2003, directed by Shane Delaney, and was completed by 23rd May 2003. At Site 119, Balregan 3, the subsurface remains of a north-south oriented masonry structure was recorded. The foundations measured 21m in length and 6.5m in width and consisted of two rooms. The building appeared to have been of 19th century construction based on the artefactual evidence and identifiable construction methods, however, the structure was not depicted on the 1835 or the 1908-9 Ordnance Survey editions. Anecdotal evidence from a local landowner notes that a structure formerly located at this site was demolished around the mid 20th century; it is likely that the building dates from the later 19th century and fell out of use at the same time as the adjacent Scotch Green Mill. The structure may have functioned as a store/warehouse given its proximity to the principal mill. A concrete path which bordered to the millpond and was associated with the structure was located immediately to the south. There were no upstanding remains of the building as the majority of the building had been demolished and the foundations had been robbed out. The entire extent of the site at Balregan 3 had been covered by collapse/dumped material up to 1m deep. Site 119, (Balregan 4) was identified during archaeological test testing. Upon further investigation this site proved to be a probable tree bole. The site yielded no materials, finds or features of archaeological significance.