County: Kildare Site name: NAAS: Dublin Road
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0111
Author: Martin E. Byrne
Site type: Town defences
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 689547m, N 719607m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.219323, -6.659122
Testing was undertaken at the site of a proposed rear extension to a premises on Dublin Road, Naas, on 13 and 14 March 1999. The work was carried out in compliance with a condition attached to the grant of planning in relation to the proposed development. Two trial-trenches and one trial-pit were excavated within the boundaries of the rear yard.
Four distinct layers were uncovered, all but one (Layer d) of which appeared to be post-medieval or modern in origin. Layer d produced a number of sherds of late medieval pottery, and the nature of the deposit indicated that it was late medieval in origin. A wall was uncovered in Trench 2. It was truncated both by the foundation trench of the existing cottage and a service pipe-trench. The wall was up to 1.5m long and at least 1.1m wide, although its exact width could not be measured as it appeared to continue into the adjacent property. Two rough courses of stone were revealed, standing to a maximum height of 0.43m. Given the apparent width of the wall, coupled with the fact that it appears to be associated only with Layer d, it is interpreted that the feature is the basal remains of the town wall defences.
Some fragmented disarticulated human bones were recovered both from Layer d and from the foundation trench of the existing cottage. Investigations by Clare Mullins (Excavations 1995, 47, 95E0279) revealed the presence of a cemetery c. 10m north-east of this site. It is speculated that this cemetery is associated with the Augustinian priory, situated, by tradition, outside the town defences. Given that the town defences may be later than the priory, it is probable that the disarticulated human bone comes from the cemetery site and that some of the skeletons were disturbed when the town wall was constructed, with some of the loose bone being deposited on the town side of the wall only to be disturbed once more when the present cottage was constructed.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with the development was undertaken on 3 May. No additional features were uncovered during this work, although additional human bone fragments were recovered, again from the backfill of the foundation trench associated with the existing cottage.
Arrangements were put in place to ensure the continued in situ preservation of the wall feature.
31 Millford, Athgarvan, Co. Kildare
