Monknewtown (), historically called ''Rathenskin'', is a

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

3 km east of

Slane Slane () is a village in County Meath, in Ireland. The village stands on a steep hillside on the left bank of the River Boyne at the intersection of the N2 ( Dublin to Monaghan road) and the N51 (Drogheda to Navan road). As of the 2016 cen ...

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It stands on the right bank of the Mattock River, which feeds several historic

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...

s nearby and which forms approximately the townland's eastern boundary with Keerhan and Sheepgrange townlands in County Louth. Neighbouring townlands to the south are Balfeddock, Knowth, and Crewbane, to the west Cashel, Mooretown, and Knockmooney. The northern boundary of Monknewtown with Kellystown is formed by a tributary of the Mattock River, while the southern boundary is formed by the N51 road. Other than the latter, only minor roads traverse the townland, among them L5606 from west to east. A

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

crosses the Mattock River in the northeastern part of the townland, connecting Monknewtown with Keerhan. Monknewtown also stands on the northern edge of the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

monument complex and

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

of ''

Brú na Bóinne (; 'Palace of the Boyne' or more properly 'Valley of the Boyne') or Boyne valley tombs, is an area in County Meath, Ireland, located in a bend of the River Boyne. It contains one of the world's most important prehistoric landscapes dating from ...

'' which includes the famous site of

Newgrange Newgrange ( ga, Sí an Bhrú) is a prehistoric monument in County Meath in Ireland, located on a rise overlooking the River Boyne, west of Drogheda. It is an exceptionally grand passage tomb built during the Neolithic Period, around 3200 B ...

. Two Neolithic sites connected with Monknewtown are the nearby "

ritual A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized ...

pond" and a

henge There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork that are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three is that they feature a ring-shaped bank and ditch, with the ditch inside the bank. Because the internal ...

. The pond probably dates to the later Neolithic, being a later addition to the complex, and consists of a 2 meter high earth bank that creates a 30-meter diameter

enclosure Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...

that is filled with water. The site may have played a preliminary or final role in prehistoric activities connected with the tombs and other ritual sites to the south.

Sources

* Lewis-Williams, D. and Pearce, D., ''Inside the Neolithic Mind'', Thames and Hudson, London, 2005,

References

Archaeological sites in County Meath World Heritage Sites in the Republic of Ireland Neolithic sites of Europe Townlands of County Meath Boyne culture {{Ireland-archaeology-stub