2001:427 - GRANGE CASTLE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, Grange and Kishoge, Dublin

Test-trenching was carried out at Grange Castle International Business Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, on a site owned by South Dublin County Council, during February 2001. The greater part of this site is currently under development as a business park by Wyeth Medica Ireland.
The assessment was concerned with the area immediately south of the Grand Canal in Grange and Kishoge townlands. It is intended to construct an attenuation lake in this area, which will aid drainage. The lake structure will measure approximately 250m north-west/south-east by 90m. An underground 110kV electricity cable will run through this area and towards the west for a length of approximately 1.5km. The terrain in the areas to be affected is relatively low-lying and the land has been used for agricultural purposes. The centre of the area intended for the attenuation lake was subjected to ground disturbance in the recent past. This disturbance appears to have been associated with the diversion of a stream and ground was stripped to bedrock in places.

Sixteen trenches were opened by mechanical excavator. These were placed in the areas which would be subjected to disturbance by the attenuation lake and the electricity cable way-leave.
Trench 1 was located at the western end of the lake and associated roadway. It revealed a long linear feature cutting natural subsoil. Where sectioned, the cut for this feature, which measured 2.6m east–west by 16.5m with a depth of 0.35m, comprised a sloping-sided flat-bottomed gulley. The upper fill consisted of a moderately compact light brown clay silt with occasional inclusions of mollusc shells and small pebbles. The lower fill comprised a moderately compact grey clay with occasional mollusc shell inclusions. A small undated hearth was revealed in Trench 4, which was also located to the west of the lake.

Trench 13 was opened on the line of the electricity cable way-leave, at a point where a mound and masonry wall were observed in the extreme north-eastern corner of the field. What is likely to be a modern agricultural feature was revealed, comprised of a mound, a stone wall and a metalled surface. This is likely to represent a watering-hole for livestock formed by excavating a depression, placing the upcast to the west into a mound, which was then revetted with a low masonry wall. A metalled surface was then placed at the point of animal access.

Monitoring of topsoil-stripping was recommended and was later carried out (see Excavations 2001, No. 428).

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