2000:0223 - GRANGE/KILMAHUDDRICK/NANGOR (GRANGE CASTLE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK), Clondalkin, Dublin

The Grange Castle International Business Park is located to the west of Clondalkin village and incorporates part of the townlands of Grange, Kilmahuddrick, and Nangor. Wyeth Medica Ireland intends to construct a biotechnology campus on this site. The area, of c. 100 acres (40ha), was used for agricultural purposes until recently. The site is bounded to the north by the Grand Canal, to the south by the New Nangor Road, to the east by a new housing estate and land reservation for the proposed Dublin Outer Ring Road (linking the N4 and N7 roads), and to the west by the Grange Castle International Business Park access road.

Two medieval occupation sites are adjacent to the boundary of the Business Park. Grange Castle (SMR 17:34) is a fine late medieval tower-house, while Nangor Castle (SMR 17:37), to the south of the development site, appears to have been demolished during the 1970s. Geophysical survey and excavation were previously carried out by Cia McConway and Richard N. O’Brien (Excavations 1996, 17, 96E0273; Excavations 1997, 26–7, 97E0116). This work revealed that plough-truncated medieval and prehistoric features do survive within the confines of the Business Park.

Archaeological assessment by the writer consisted of the excavation of test-trenches during April and May 2000 in Fields 105, 106, 109, 110 (EIS field reference numbers) and in the northern part of Field 111. This was followed by the test-trenching of anomalies detected through geophysical survey carried out by Geophysical Surveys Bradford (GSB) in Fields 104, 107, 108, 111 (southern part), 112, 113 and 114. This assessment took place during June and July 2000.

A ring-barrow was detected through geophysical survey and follow-up test-trenching in Kilmahuddrick townland (Field 108). The remains of field boundaries were revealed close to this ring-barrow. Approximately 50m to the east of the ring-barrow two cobbled surfaces, a charcoal spread and a series of linear features were revealed (see Excavations 2000, No. 225).

Other truncated archaeological features were detected in Field 110 to the south of the Grange Castle tower-house. In the other areas that were tested a number of features were detected, the majority of which can be explained by ploughing or by the presence of spreads of dumped redbrick debris. Much of this redbrick debris appears to have been over-fired and reduced to a vitreous slag. There was no evidence for in situ burning or oxidation of the natural subsoil adjacent to these features. These redbrick features were only detected in Field 112.

To the south of Kilmahuddrick townland, in Nangor townland, several features of archaeological potential were detected. In Field 111 a small, undated, charcoal-rich pit was revealed. This contained a small quantity of cremated bone. In the central part of Field 111 a cluster of small, undated pits and charcoal stains was detected. A trench in the south-eastern corner of the field revealed a large cut into natural, containing 19th/20th-century cultural material. This cut corresponds with the location of an ‘Old Gravel Pit’ marked on the 1864 1:2500 OS map.

Field 112 is located to the north of Nangor Castle and is adjacent to the Business Park access road. In the south-eastern corner of this field a cluster of cobbled surfaces, pits and gullies, associated with medieval pottery, was revealed. Some 60m to the west of this complex a narrow ditch on a south-east/north-west axis was detected. No cultural material that could date this feature was retrieved (see Excavations 2000, No. 226).

Further medieval material was uncovered in Field 113. Here, a trench contained a series of linear ditches directly associated with medieval ceramics (see Excavations 2000, No. 226). A short stretch of ditch was also revealed in the north of Field 113. This length of ditch was undated but contained frequent inclusions of charcoal at the base. The ditch proved difficult to trace, but the location and orientation correspond with an anomaly detected in the geophysical survey carried out by GSB. Trenches excavated in the south-eastern portion of this field revealed a series of concrete yard surfaces and modern buildings associated with recent occupation of Nangor Castle. These remains had been covered over by spoil derived from nearby construction activity in the recent past.

Test-trenching in Field 114, a narrow field immediately north of Nangor Castle, revealed modern ground disturbance to a depth of 1.4m below the ground level. This field appears to have been associated with the Nangor Castle gardens.

None of the areas of archaeological potential have any visible, above-ground, expression. Archaeological features, where detected, were present in a truncated form, cut into subsoil and were only apparent when ploughsoil was removed.

Excavation of the ring-barrow and adjacent features commenced under licence 00E0448, while the medieval remains in Nangor townland were excavated under licence 00E0754. Topsoil-stripping during construction was monitored under licence 00E0718.

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