County: Kildare Site name: KILDARE: Heffernan's Lane/Firecastle Lane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0332
Author: Martin E. Byrne
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 672490m, N 712387m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.157044, -6.916119
An archaeological evaluation was undertaken at a proposed development site located at Heffernan’s Lane/Firecastle Lane, Kildare, on 12 June 2000. The work was undertaken in compliance with a request for additional information from the planning authority and following consultations with the National Monuments and Historic Properties Service, Dúchas The Heritage Service. The site is located within the designated zone of archaeological potential associated with Kildare town, being directly south of a complex of monuments, including St Brigid’s Cathedral and an early monastic site.
The testing consisted of the mechanical excavation of five trenches. No features, structures, deposits or finds of archaeological potential were revealed. The existing surfaces of the site are below the levels of the surrounding lanes, and the site was utilised as a garage and service station in former times; some of the associated features of this activity—underground fuel tanks and inspection pits—would have caused an additional need for levels reduction in specific areas of the site.
Given the results of testing and the fact that the original surface levels across the site had been reduced substantially in former times, it is not considered likely that any material of archaeological interest exists within the present site boundaries. It was not possible to test along the existing lanes, where sewerage services for the development, as proposed, will be laid. In addition, the north-eastern edge of the development, as proposed, could not be investigated because of its location outside the site boundaries. Buildings had been located in this area, and their foundation excavations, and subsequent removal, probably resulted in a degree of disturbance in the area.
There are no known dates for when the lanes were laid out. Both are shown on Rocque’s map of 1757, although it is likely that they existed for a long time before that. It is possible that original surface layers, which might aid in the dating of these lanes, exist below the present surfaces. Consequently, it was suggested that, if planning permission is granted, a condition should be included to ensure monitoring of all groundworks associated with the provision of sewers and services outside the external building lines of the development. This strategy was subsequently recommended to the planning authority by Dúchas.
31 Millford, Athgarvan, Co. Kildare
