1995:160 - NAAS: Dublin Rd., Kildare

An archaeological evaluation took place at a site on Dublin Rd., Naas, from 6 to 12 December, after the accidental discovery of human remains during site clearance. Following consultation with the National Museum of Ireland, the owner of the site decided to commission an archaeological evaluation prior to proceeding further with a planning application. The site measured 115m x 42m.

Machine clearance had already suggested the presence of a burial-ground on the southern end of the site. Hence, the evaluation consisted of a combination of machine trenches and hand clearance in this area while machine trenches were used over the remainder of the site.

The outcome of the evaluation confirmed that the burial-ground was confined to the southern end of the site, extending approximately half-way along the street frontage and continuing west towards Sallins Rd. This burial-ground was most likely associated with the 12th-century Augustinian foundation in the immediate vicinity. Many of the burials were badly disturbed, both as a result of the recent machine clearance and as a result of earlier activity on the site. It became clear during the course of the evaluation that the foundations of the early 18th-century cottages which had stood on the street front until recent years had cut through the burials which lay just beneath them. In general, the burials appeared to be only one individual deep.

Trial-trenching over the remainder of the site failed to produce any further evidence of archaeological activity except for the occurrence of a single sherd of medieval pottery from the surface of the 'natural' in the central area of the site.

During the evaluation a fragment of a line-impressed floor-tile was found upon the rubble which had been cleared by machine prior to archaeological involvement.

39 Kerdiff Park, Monread, Naas, Co. Kildare