2001:469 - INTERTIDAL ZONE, Sandymount Strand, Dublin

Eachtra Archaeological Projects were subcontracted by MAU Ltd for Dublin Corporation to monitor the excavation of a pipeline trench under construction across Dublin Bay for the acceptance of the new Sutton to Ringsend wastewater pipeline. The excavations monitored were located in the intertidal zone on the northern part of Sandymount Strand near Ringsend. The distance over which the pipe-trench was thus excavated, between the low-water mark and the beachhead, is slightly over 1500m. Works took place between 23 April and 13 June, during which time 58 shifts were monitored.

While the foreshore was being walked on 17 April in advance of operations commencing, part of a possible wreck on the lower foreshore was noted. This site was later investigated by Emer Dennehy and Lar Dunne (see Excavations 2001, Nos 459 and 460).

No wrecks were encountered while the intertidal excavations were in progress, although a concentration of six timbers recovered on 8 May at chainage 8630 is of note. None of these timbers were connected to each other at the time of recovery, but the possibility that they may form part of the same vessel or structure will be investigated during post-excavation analysis.

Twenty-seven artefacts were recovered. Of these, 20 are worked timbers or parts thereof, six are pieces of pottery/ceramic and one is a cannonball. No strata which could be interpreted as being archaeological in nature were encountered at any stage during monitoring and all of the artefacts recovered must therefore be considered as unstratified stray finds.