County: Dublin Site name: LUSK
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0872
Author: Eoghan Moore for Arch-Tech
Site type: Ecclesiastical enclosure
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 721606m, N 754494m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.526326, -6.165884
Three test-trenches were excavated by machine at Lusk, Co. Dublin, during the period 18–20 September 2002.
Test-trench 1 measured 55m in length (east–west) by 1.9m. The stratigraphy was a dark brown topsoil that overlay a yellow grey glacial clay deposit in which six linear soil stains were uncovered, along with a rectangular soil deposit. One of these linear soil stains — Feature 7 — was interpreted as the remains of the monastic ditch of the early/medieval ecclesiastical enclosure of Lusk. Feature 7 measured approximately 5m in width and was uncovered traversing the entire width of the test-trench (i.e. 1.9m). It was merely exposed here, not excavated.
Test-trench 2 was located 27m to the south of Test-trench 1. It measured 15.5m in length (east–west) by 1.9m. The stratigraphy was similar to Test-trench 1.
Two linear soil stains and two rectangular soil deposits were uncovered. One of the linear stains — Feature 7 — was interpreted as the continuation of the remains of the monastic ditch uncovered in Test-trench 1. In Test-trench 2 Feature 7 measured a maximum of 5.9m in width (east–west axis). Again it was exposed, not excavated.
Test-trench 3 was located 18.7m to the south of Test-trench 2. It measured 23.5m in length (east–west) by 1.9m. The stratigraphy was as before. Two linear soil stains were uncovered, including Feature 7, which was approximately 5m in width here. It consisted of a linear dark grey fill that contained gravel and small stones (that is, stones measuring approximately 0.05–0.1m in length). Again it was exposed, not excavated.
As Feature 7 was interpreted as constituting the remains of the Early Christian/medieval ditch of the monastery of Lusk it was recommended that no development should take place at the site of proposed development until after an extensive archaeological excavation is carried out.
32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
