1999:161 - BALLOUGH TO KILSHANE GAS PIPELINE, Dublin

Monitoring of topsoil removal for the construction of the northern section of the new NEP 3 gas pipeline was undertaken between April and September 1999. The pipeline will extend south from Ballough as far as Brownsbarn, Co. Dublin, reusing sections of the previously excavated NEP 1 and 2 pipelines (1983 and 1988). The first stage of this route saw monitoring of the pipeline excavation from Ballough to Kilshane. The remaining stages of pipeline construction south of Kilshane as far as Brownsbarn will be undertaken from summer 2000.

The pipeline corridor was stripped of topsoil running south from the Bord Gáis Éireann station at Ballough through Richardstown to Gracedieu. The excavation of this stretch of corridor revealed two archaeological sites in 1988, both of which were fully excavated before construction (Excavations 1988). Monitoring of this stretch in 1999 did not reveal further archaeological features, soils or finds.

The NEP 3 pipeline extended through two fields forming part of the Gracedieu archaeological complex, revealed during pipe-laying in 1988 (Margaret Gowen in Excavations 1988, 15–17) and subsequently defined by Dúchas The Heritage Service. The NEP 3 route deviated from the NEP 2 corridor, running parallel to it on the west, and passed through the western edge of the Gracedieu archaeological complex from the north-east to south-west. This route lay west of the site of the cemetery and enclosure ditches uncovered and partially excavated in 1988. Low-level aerial photography and subsequent geophysical surveying revealed a double enclosure around the burial area and a further ditched enclosure close to the road to the north. An archaeological assessment followed by excavation was undertaken at the site before the pipeline construction (see No. 248 Excavations 1999).

From Gracedieu the pipeline reused the original route of NEP 2, extending southwards through Dollardstown to Saucerstown. A fulacht fiadh site (SMR 7:33) in Brownstown townland was uncovered and fully excavated during construction of NEP 2. At several locations the NEP 3 route diverged from the original route. No features of archaeological interest were uncovered along this stretch of pipeline. Some surface finds comprising mainly brownwares and modern delft wares with occasional clay pipe stems were noted but were not found to be associated with any features of archaeological interest.

Between Saucerstown and Westereave the entire length of pipeline followed the route of the original pipeline NEP 2, crossing the location of two recorded archaeological sites, both discovered and excavated during pipe-laying in 1988. This included a small enclosure at Saucerstown (SMR 11:83, Excavations 1988, 17–18, report by Eoin Halpin) and an unenclosed cemetery at Westereave (SMR 11:84, Excavations 1988, 18, report by Margaret Gowen). Geophysical survey and an archaeological assessment undertaken at Westereave before construction works did not reveal any further archaeological features or finds (see No. 278 Excavations 1999).

From Westereave the pipeline was laid through Laurestown to Broghan, where monitoring did not reveal any archaeological features. However, a number of artefact scatters, comprising mainly brownwares, delft wares and clay pipe stems, were recorded in conjunction with flint nodules, representing dumped spreads of farmhouse waste, occasionally associated with field drains and former field boundaries. The pipeline passed within 60m of SMR 11:23, a ringfort/graveyard at Common. Nothing of archaeological interest was encountered.

From Broghan the pipeline extended to Kilshane, following the line of NEP 2 between the townlands of Kilshane and Broghan. The pipeline itself switched to 5m east of the original line, and the original wayleave was reused and slightly widened to the end of this stage of pipeline at the block valve at Kilshane. The cemetery site at Kilshane (SMR 14:0490) uncovered during the NEP 2 operation (Margaret Gowen in Excavations 1988, 17) lies c. 420m north-east of the block valve. The cemetery extends to the west of the former pipeline corridor and may extend into the adjacent field on that side. The eastern limit of the burial area was defined during excavation.

Geophysical survey was undertaken before an archaeological assessment of the site took place, providing a number of targets for testing. A single archaeological feature was revealed and excavated in a location east of the cemetery site and does not appear to be related to it (see No. 253 Excavations 1999).

No further archaeological features or burials were encountered during monitoring of the pipeline construction.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin