County: Dublin Site name: RINGSEND: Thorncastle Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0669
Author: Niall Gregory
Site type: Settlement cluster
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 717944m, N 734110m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.344057, -6.228723
Monitoring was conducted between 28 August and 6 November on this site after planning permission had been received to expand an existing community centre, associated carpark facilities and ancillary works. The site covers an area of 2000m2 and is bounded by derelict warehouses to the north, Thorncastle Street to the east, apartments to the south and the River Dodder to the west. The development is being constructed on the site of a recognised archaeologically sensitive area (SMR 18:53). Two further archaeologically sensitive areas are near the site, SMR 18:54 and 18:66. 18:54 is situated c. 400m to the south-east; 18:66 is located along York Road immediately to the north and east of 18:53.
Surface clearance occurred in two areas, the first within the north-west portion of the site. In the course of this work, a sacar or minion cannonball was found within the topsoil. The remainder of the material consisted of sherds of modern ceramics. The surface of the second area was covered by layered concrete. No artefacts of an archaeological or historical nature were uncovered.
A trench was dug adjacent to the north-eastern end of the site to retain a foul-water sewer. The trench consisted of areas of rubble and old brick foundations and contained a mixture of red to purple, coarse, gritty soil that contained a very high quantity of red brick and iron slag. Two other service trenches were dug. The first was dug to a depth of 0.6–0.8m, the second was dug to 1.8m.
An old weighing bridge was situated within the southern portion of this area and was filled entirely with old car parts. Some of the layers expressed a slightly silty nature, while others were more coarse and sandy. The intense concentrations of iron slag show that some form of ironworking took place on or near the site. However, there are no historical records to substantiate this. Nothing of an artefactual or structural nature was found to indicate the above period.
It is highly improbable that the find location of the cannonball was the point of its original deposition. The ball probably belonged to Cromwell’s arsenal and may have been misplaced when his army landed here in August 1649. It is possible that the ball may have been picked up and then discarded from lack of recognition.
Flat 1, Main Street, Blessington, Co. Wicklow
