County: Dublin Site name: KILLININNY, Oldcourt
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: D.L. Swan, Heritage International
Site type: Castle - unclassified
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 710523m, N 725366m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.267109, -6.343169
Proposed development on the periphery of this site necessitated the archaeological clearance of the areas to the north, east and south. The site of the castle/tower house, of which fragmentary remnants are still visible, and the immediately surrounding area of approximately 1 acre, were reserved by Dublin County Council, and excluded from development. This area is also the supposed site of an Early Christian monastery.
In all, a series of 14 trenches were cut by machine to a depth of between 1.25m and 2m, extending to a distance of from 50m to 80m in each direction. All trial trenches were cleared to below the natural deposits, and were fully recorded. Apart from two well formed culverted drains, no features whatever were encountered in these cuttings, and the only finds of archaeological interest were two sherds of Sgraffitto-type pottery, and a portion of a large quernstone. In the absence of evidence for enclosure or burial in the extensive areas examined, it must remain extremely doubtful whether this was ever an early ecclesiastical site.
Since no trace of medieval activity occurred in the areas investigated, a thorough excavation of the reserved area will now be essential.
32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin
