Grange Park, Dunshaughlin

Area

341 m²

Buildings

1 building touches it, 117 m² on the ground

Zoning

R2 A1 - Existing Residential (Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027) The objective

Townland

Dunshaughlin

Planning applications on this parcel

No planning application touches this parcel in the national file, which goes back to 2010.

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches this parcel.

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 12 recorded monuments.

• ME044-033 Settlement cluster
  Description

  Located on a low hill which was the centre of the monastery of St Seachnaill (Secundus) that flourished from its foundation in the fifth century into the twelfth. It was the church of the kings of south Brega, who occupied the crannog of Lagore (ME038-027----) from the seventh to the tenth century, and thereafter, using the name Mac Giollasheachnaill, they may have occupied the rath (ME044-033001-) c. 600m to the S of the church. After the Anglo-Norman settlement Dunshaughlin became a seigniorial manor of Hugh de Lacy (Graham 1974, 42), and the rath might have continued in use as a motte as no other cuput or centre can be identified. Although the church became a parish church, the surviving arcade of probable thirteenth century date indicates a church with aisles and therefore big enough to accommodate a large congregation, which suggests that Dunshaughlin had a sizeable community and was no mere rural parish. No charter is known but it was regarded as being a concentrated settlement or town. In 1423 the portreeve or mayor and the commons of Dunshaughlin were ordered to the defence of Trim, which suggests it was an organised urban area (Lewis 1837, 1, 589; Cogan, 1, 273-4), but its history cannot be elucidated (Bradley and King 1985, 60). According to the Civil Survey (1656) in 1641 the townland of Dunshaughlin was owned by Sir William Parsons, but of the settlement it merely says there were ‘many thatch houses and tenements’ (Simington 1940, 90). Dunshaughlin had 146 inhabitants c. 1659 (Pender 1939, 486), but it was never officially incorporated as there is no record of it sending representatives to the Irish Parliament, which was a privilege of incorporated towns. It is thought that the settlement would have been in the area between the church and the rath/motte (Bradley and King 1985 64, Fig. 18), although archaeological excavations to date have failed to produce positive evidence of it along Main Street connecting the two monuments. However, evidence of settlement becomes more evident with proximity to the church site. Drains were found (01E0219 ext.; excavations.ie 2001:1965) at the S end of Main St., and evidence of burgage plots in parallel trenches has been found S (17E0502; excavations.ie 2017:615) and E (18E0057; excavations.ie 2019: 584) of the church where they are largely preserved under new developments. The east plots (Wth 15-50m) are defined by slight ditches and run parallel with the mapped field system, extending from the ecclesiastical enclosure around the church onto the low-lying ground (L c. 250m plus). A prehistoric fulacht fia (ME044-047----) was found at the same development and this was completely excavated. The fosse of the ecclesiastical enclosure (ME044-033009-) with an outer ditch has also been noted (99E0114: Excavations.ie 1999:683) NE of the graveyard. Further evidence of an outer ditch on the line of the road was recorded at ESE, SW and NW in monitoring (03E0089) a sewage trench (O’Carroll 2003). Evidence of possible burgage plots has also come from SE of the church (18E0488: Excavations.ie 2018: 472) where K. Rice identified a wide curving ditch (Wth of top 4m) that may be part of an outer ecclesiastical enclosure, although its centre appears to lie to the S. This portion of ditch will be largely preserved under the development. Any outer enclosure need not be concentric with the innermost one, and a ditch (Wth of top 2.8m; D 1.45m) was also noted (04E0670: excvations.ie 2004:1235) by P. D. Sweetman SW of the graveyard that is probably outside the established enclosure, although no dating evidence was recovered from it. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 22 November 2021 O’Carroll, F. 2003 Interim Report on Trial Trenching in Dunshaughlin. Licence: 03E0089. Unpublished report, CRDS

• ME044-033001 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Situated on a gentle rise in a fairly level landscape. This is a raised and flat-topped, grass and scrub-covered mound (diam. of top 26m; diam. of base 35m) defined by a scarp (at WNW: Wth 5m; H 2.4m; at ESE: Wth 4m; H 4.5m). There is no visible fosse, although the mound rises over a field drain (Wth of base 2.8m; ext. D 1.6m) with an outer field bank (Wth of base 2.7m; ext. H 0.4m) E-SW. An original entrance is not identified, and the field in which it is situated is now a cemetery. The early monastery of St Seachnall or Secundus which became the medieval parish church (ME044-033002-) is c. 650m to the N. This rath may have been used by the Mac GiollaSeachnaill descendants of the Clann Chernaig Sotail after Lagore crannog (ME038—027----) was abandoned in the tenth century. The death of Maolcron Mac GiollaSeachnaill, lord of South Brega, is recorded in 1171 (AFM). 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. Date of upload: 10 July 2007 Amended: 22 November 2021 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 195/1954).

• ME044-033002 Church
  Description

  Situated on a broad, low hill with the W edge of the reclaimed Little Lagore Lough, an oval, reclaimed area (dims c. 1.25km E-W; c. 0.5km N-S), c. 500m to the E. The headwaters of an E-W stream that leads into the SE-NW Skane River are c. 400m to the SW. The S-N Main Street of Dunshaughlin village curves from S-W-NE of the church, which suggests that an ecclesiastical enclosure (diam. c. 200m) has become fossilised in the street-pattern. This is an early church site founded by Seachnall or Secundus, who was sent to assist Patrick in AD 439 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 35), and the name ‘Dunshauglin’ is derived from Domhnach Seachnall – the church of Seachnall. The name Maolseachnail – servant of Seachnall – became a common one amongst the Uí Neill kings of Meath, becoming McLoughlin, and it was sometimes transformed into Malachy. Seachanall was a son of Restitutus, a Lombard, and Lubaid, who is thought to have been a sister of Patrick. He was renowned as a poet and musician who composed a praise poem for Patrick, and when he died in 447 he was reputed to be the first bishop to be buried in the country (Ó Riain 2011, 552-3). The names of abbots are recorded with some certainty in the 9th century beginning with Ruamnus who died in 801, and continuing to Scannal mac Fergil, described as a princeps, who was murdered in 886. Erenachs and coarbs of Seachnall are recorded in AD 952, 1027 and 1040. The monastery at Dunshaughlin was burned in AD 1026, 1142 and 1143 (Cogan 1862-70, 1, 54-7). This was probably the church of the Síl nÁedo Slaine kings of Lagore crannog (ME028-027----), c. 1.7km to the E, but there is little physical evidence of the early church structure, apart from an orans stone (H 0.57m; Wth 0.25m; T 7cm) found in the graveyard in 1969. This depicts a figure praying with raised arms, which Roe (1970, 212, 220) would date to the 6th to the 8th centuries. Also present is a Crucifixion scene (Wth 0.34m; H 0.32m) carved in false relief over the lintel (dims 1.5m x 0.5-0.7m; T 0.15m) of a doorway (Wth 0.74m). This stone is a thin slab that would have been set upright over the outer face of the W doorway of a 10th or 11th century, pre-Romanesque church. It is now kept in the present church for safe-keeping. After the Anglo-Norman settlement Dunshaughlin became a seigniorial manor of Hugh de Lacy (Graham 1974, 42) and the earthwork (ME044-033001-) c. 700m to the S of the church could be a motte built by him. Thereafter, the church became parochial. A church at Denclynschael is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire., 5, 254). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel of Donshahlen as ruined (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxx). According to the Dopping (1682-5) and Royal (1693) visitations the church was in good repair, the roof was slated, the widows glazed and the floor was clay. At that time the graveyard was fenced (Ellison 1971, 38). Isaac Butler, writing in 1749, describes the church and steeple, by which he meant a tower, as in good repair, but the chancel was ruined (1892, 16). The present Church of Ireland church was built in 1813 (Lewis 1837, 1, 589) N of the older structure within a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 60m N-S; c. 60m E-W) defined by masonry walls, with trees inside the perimeter at N and E, and a bank inside the perimeter at N. The headstones date mostly from 1743 to the present, but a graveslab (dims 1.05m x 0.97m) commemorating Noah Webb dated 1696 is at the SW angle of the graveyard (McClenaghan 1910), although it had been in the chancel of the medieval church (Butler 1892, 16). Dunshaughlin is thought to have been incorporated as a town at some point (Lewis 1837, 1, 589), although its history cannot be elucidated (Bradley and King 1985, 60). The remains of the parish church, consisting merely of one pointed arch and two piers of an arcade, suggest that its nave had aisles and therefore that it was a large church catering for a large, urban population. Some fragments of multi-cusped window-heads are in the graveyard, suggesting a 15th or 16th century date for the later church. An octagonal limestone font (ext. dim. 0.64m; H 0.42m), still functioning in the present church, has a circular basin (diam. 0.49m; D 0.24m) and chamfered under-panels. The basin rests on an octagonal shaft (H 0.24m) which rests on a rectangular base with chamfered upper edges (total H 0.77m). Five of the upper panels on the basin are decorated, one with a man’s head in relief, the others, consisting of a plain shield and animals, are in false relief (Roe 1968, 57-9). Archaeological testing (91E0099) outside the N perimeter of the graveyard identified nine ditches curving E-N-W in two bands roughly centred on the church (Meehan 1992). A substantial ditch (Wth 3-4m; D 1.7m plus) occurring in all trenches c. 60m N of the graveyard and centred on it, can be interpreted as the fosse of an ecclesiastical enclosure (diam. c. 160m). Medieval pottery and a spindle whorl were recovered, and the area roughly inside the ditch is maintained as a green area. (Meehan and Cassidy 1991) 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 revision: 7 April, 2015

• ME044-033003 Architectural fragment
  Description

  In the graveyard attached to the early church of St Seachnall or Secundus (ME044-033002-) and its medieval successor are some fragments of multi-cusped window-heads, suggesting a 15th or 16th century date for the later church. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 7 April, 2015

• ME044-033004 Font
  Description

  Within the present Church of Ireland church of St Seachnall or Secundus. An octagonal limestone font (ext. dim. 0.64m; H 0.42m), still functioning in the present church, has a circular basin (diam. 0.49m; D 0.24m) and chamfered under-panels. The basin rests on an octagonal shaft (H 0.24m) which rests on a rectangular base with chamfered upper edges (total H 0.77m). Five of the upper panels on the basin are decorated, one with a man’s head in relief, the others, consisting of a plain shield and animals, are in false relief (Roe 1968, 57-9). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 7 April, 2015

• ME044-033005 Stone sculpture
  Description

  An orans stone (H 0.57m; Wth 0.25m; T 7cm) was found in the graveyard of St Seachnall's church (ME044-033002-) in 1969, and it is now in the present church. This depicts a figure praying with raised arms, which Roe (1970, 212, 220) would date to the 6th to the 8th centuries. It is described by Roe (1970, 212-3) as follows: ‘In the spring of 1969 when mowing grass in the churchyard of St. Seachnaill's Church (C. of I.) a small piece of carved stone was observed protruding above the sod. When dug out this proved to be an oblong slab, neatly shaped and dressed which measured some 59 cm. high by about 26 cm. wide and 7 cm. thick. One face of the stone is carved in relief with the figure of a man standing frontally, his legs close together with feet heel to heel in profile. His arms are flexed at the elbows so that his hands- now very indistinct—are upheld at about shoulder-level. He is distinctively clad in a high-waisted, knee-length garment, rather like an apron, but whether the upper part of his body was originally shown covered or naked cannot now be said. The upper part of the stone having been above ground probably accounts for the weathering of this area with the resultant loss of detail of the hands and the reduction of the features of the face to their original components — large eyes below marked orbital ridges; a long nose, flattened and broadening toward the tip; the mouth no more than a lipless slit. A short chin beard may have been indicated by incised lines but this is no longer certain. Thick short hair covers the head and it is interesting to note that the crown of the head rises above the top of the slab in a way reminiscent of the head of Christ in the Crucifixion on the east side of the pillar stone at Carndonagh, Co. Donegal. The lower part of the carving is so chipped and abraded that it is not possible to determine if the feet were supported on a suppedaneum or other form of foot-rest.’ There is a plaster copy located at the site of the Parish Church of St. Sechnaill, Dunshaughlin (ME044-03302-). Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of amended upload: 30 April 2015

• ME044-033006 Graveslab
  Description

  Within the graveyard (ME044-033011-) of the church of St Seachaall or Secundus (ME044-033002-). The headstones date mostly from 1743 to the present, but a graveslab (dims 1.05m x 0.97m) commemorating Noah Webb dated 1696 is at the SW angle of the graveyard (McClenaghan 1910), although it had been in the chancel of the medieval church c. 1749 (Butler 1892, 16). It has been described by McClenaghan as: REVERENDs NOAH WEBB… / DECANUS LIEGHLINs NECNON …./ DUNSHAUGHLIN HIC VNACN …./ SA PROLE RVMVLATVS IACET …./ OBIIT 7 AVG ANNO DOM 1[696?] / AETAT SVAE 53 / HENRICVS FILIVS EIVS PR MOGEN …/ AD DEFti ENCOM MVLtA DESV …/ PAVCIS VTE TOTIS VIRIBUS AD ECCL …/ PATRIAE BONVM SE CONTVLIT…. The slab bearing this inscription is fractured along the right-hand side and the pieces are missing. The edge of the stone had a rope–pattern. There is a large portion of the stone, above the inscription, in several fragments, on which is worked a nondescript floral design, but I could not make out any coat-of-arms, crest, or motto. The slab lies flat on the ground and was nearly overgrown with a grass sod when I first found it. Dean Webb was Rector of Dunshaughlin from 1670 to 1696; hence I have added the figures above as the possible year of his death.' Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 7 April, 2015

• ME044-033007 Hut site
  Description

  Located outside the inner ecclesiastical enclosure associated with the church of St. Seachnaill at NNE. Archaeological testing (94E0178) by L. Simpson excavated a circular structure (diam. c. 7.8m) defined by a slot-trench best preserved (Wth 0.4m; D 0.4m) at N but it was truncated on the S side by later medieval cultivation ridges (excavations.ie 1995:230). There were almost contiguous stake-holes inside the slot trench at NW and a possible entrance (Wth 1m) at N. There were two internal slot-trenches radiating NE and E from the centre. The slot-trenches contained a charcoal element and were sealed with an extensive charcoal layer related to metalworking (ME044-033008-) and which produced sherds of Leinster cooking ware. (Simpson 1995, 5-13) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 9 December 2021

• ME044-033008 Metalworking site
  Description

  Located outside the inner ecclesiastical enclosure associated with the church of St. Seachnaill at NNE. The hut-site (ME044-033007-) revealed in excavation (94E0178) by L. Simpson was sealed by a charcoal layer (dims 3m N-S; 2.2m E-W; T 0.1m) which contained lenses of ash and fire-reddened clay (excavations.ie 1995:230). Just to the W was a pit (dims 2.2m N-S; 1.6m E-W; D 0.25m) filled with a similar deposit over a base of yellow clay which was over a fire-reddened orange subsoil. Although no hearth or furnace bottoms were recovered, the extensive burning of the subsoil indicates that the excavation was in the vicinity of a metalworking area. (Simpson 1995, 13-17) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 9 December 2021

• ME044-033009 Ecclesiastical enclosure
  Description

  Situated on a broad, low hill with the W edge of the reclaimed Little Lagore Lough, an oval area (dims c. 1.25km E-W; c. 0.5km N-S), c. 500m to the E. The headwaters of an E-W stream that leads into the SE-NW Skane River are c. 400m to the SW. The early church site founded by St Seachnall (ME044-033002-) and the medieval parish church that succeeded it are within a rectangular graveyard (ME044-033003-). The S-N Main Street of Dunshaughlin village curves from S-W-NE of the church, which suggests that an ecclesiastical enclosure (diam. c. 200m) has become fossilised in the street-pattern. Archaeological testing (91E0101) outside the N perimeter of the graveyard identified nine ditches curving E-W in two bands roughly centred on the church (Meehan 1992). A substantial ditch (Wth 3-4m; D 1.7m plus) occurring in all trenches c. 60m N of the graveyard and centred on it, can be interpreted as the fosse of an ecclesiastical enclosure (diam. c. 160m). Medieval pottery and a spindle whorl were recovered, and the area roughly inside the ditch is maintained as a green area. (Meehan and Cassidy 1991) Archaeological testing (17E0194) by R. Meenan just SE of the graveyard and straddling the line of the ecclesiastical enclosure at SE produced no evidence of that feature in this area. Some E-W features were recorded including an E-W ditch (Wth 3-3.5m; D 0.8m) just S of the graveyard with a uniform fill of silty clay which produced no artefacts but is not thought to be an enclosing feature of the graveyard. A relict N-S field boundary ditch was also present (excavations.ie 2017:792; 2018:777). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 7 April, 2015 Amended: 30 March 2022

And 2 more.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

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