1995:102 - LEHAUNSTOWN MILITARY CAMP, Lehaunstown/ Cherrywood, Dublin

The site encompasses a large area of over 120 acres, part of which is the known site of the military camp at Lehaunstown. The archaeological assessment of the site is based on test- trenching which was supervised by Linzi Simpson.

The military camp was established in 1794 in response to an unsettled political climate and a fear of a Napoleonic invasion. It was formed as part of a comprehensive military strategy designed to repel a seaward invasion. It held from 2,000 to 4,000 men and was close to Killiney beach, identified as the most likely landing spot for such an invasion. A series of military roads was then constructed to the beach, where at least two forts were built, one of which still survives at Rathsallagh, Shankill. A portion of the military road to this fort survives in a housing estate (Shanganagh Cliffs) as a linear tree-covered earthwork with low banks. A second road, Military Rd., led to a similar fort further north, where the remains of a stone wall in the cliff face may mark its location. A third military road still leads to the site via the Druids' Glen.

The camp became the focus of society in the area and had a weekly fair and weekend balls. The soldiers were housed in canvas tents but after six months these began to be replaced with wooden huts, each with a stove. John Ferrars, who drew the camp in 1796, described the 'tents of canvas, wooden taverns, wooden huts and buildings of brick'. He tells of 125 houses in total, with five main lines spread along two 'hilly ridges'. The first ridge lies within the development site, with the second ridge, identified as Drum-gun Hill (at Tully church), outside the site to the west. The depiction shows two uniform lines of tents/huts with Tully church to the west, the Shanganagh River to the east and the village of Loughlinstown to the south-east.

The site has been farmed as one unit in recent years. The testing was concentrated along the prominent ridge, identified as the location of the camp by the concentration of stray finds (i.e. glass, pottery, red brick, and metal). In addition, a series of large middens had been noted twelve years ago when the fields were first ploughed. These consisted of large spreads of charcoal and coal up to 3m in diameter and between 0.4m and 0.6m deep. Finds included fragments of green bottles, post-medieval pottery, red brick and whole oyster shells.

To the west of the ridge the remains of a stone-lined drain, which had been opened up in recent years, may be all that remains of the spring noted by Ferrar in the late 18th century.

A total of 38 trenches, between 20m and 50m in length, were excavated along the top of the ridge. In all a total of five midden sites were located but these represented the base of the pits cut into boulder clay. They measured on average 1m wide and were 0.1–0.2m in depth, filled with charcoal and coal (as above). The deep ploughing had spread the upper levels of coal and charcoal over a wide area and fragments of glass and oyster shells were readily identifiable. No other features or structures were identified.

Cropmark SMR 26:8
This possible site was identified during an examination of vertical aerial photography by the Office of Public Works. Three trenches, measuring between 40m and 60m long, were excavated across the supposed feature but nothing of archaeological significance was found.

Rath House, Ferndale Rd, Rathmichael, Co. Dublin