1999:278 - WESTEREAVE, Dublin

An archaeological assessment and subsequent monitoring (see No. 161 Excavations 1999) of topsoil removal were undertaken at Westereave, Co. Dublin, as part of the reinforcement of the Brownsbarn to Ballough Gas Pipeline (formerly known as the Northeastern Pipelines, Phases I and II). The site is at the top of a long, gentle but prominent, south-east-facing slope to the east of Mount Ambrose House, which rises from the Ward River just north of Skephubble. The site is very close to outcropping shaley slate (which was quarried just to the west of the site). Rocque's map of 1760 shows 'Westrew' as a small settlement at the south-eastern corner of the townland. There is no record of the cemetery, and there are no references to the townland before 1641, so it may have had an earlier name, now lost.

The site was first discovered on removal of topsoil during the Phase II pipeline operation in 1988. Then, a cemetery comprising 52 individuals was revealed over a 27m stretch of the pipeline corridor (see report by Margaret Gowen in Excavations 1988, 18). The cemetery consisted of fifteen lintel graves, with the remaining burials interred in simple rock-cut graves. At least two phases of burial were discerned, the earlier phase mainly represented by the lintel graves being enclosed by a penannular gully. Subsequent to this discovery the site was included in the Sites and Monuments Record by the National Monuments and Historic Properties Service.

The new reinforcement pipeline corridor runs parallel to and incorporates part of the existing and archaeologically resolved area of 1988. Geophysical survey of the proposed pipeline corridor was undertaken before an archaeological assessment.

Magnetic gradiometry and electrical soil-resistivity surveys were undertaken at the site before the assessment. Strong ferrous (iron) interference was present within the eastern area of the survey grid, signalling the location of the existing gas pipe. Various isolated, small anomalies were also discerned, along with regular linear-trending anomalies, suggesting changes in the underlying geology. The resistivity survey revealed a number of low-resistance linear trends west of the existing gas pipe, which did not coincide with any magnetic anomalies. These trends indicated possible ditches, which because of their regularity appeared to represent an early modern field division. However, the majority of the resistivity responses appeared to reflect natural variations in resistance values across the site, especially along the eastern edge of the survey grid, which would suggest disturbance from the pipe and 1988 construction.

Three test-trenches were excavated across the proposed 30m wayleave realignment corridor. The trenches were directly west of the area excavated and resolved during the 1988 NEP II pipe-laying operation. The position of the trenches was largely determined by the anomalous responses from the geophysical survey carried out before the assessment. The soil cover was very thin, with the topsoil lying almost directly over rock over most of the tested areas. No soils, deposits or features of archaeological potential were revealed during assessment.

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