2002:0477 - CARMANHALL (Site 55), Dublin

This site was identified during monitoring of topsoil-stripping of the South-Eastern Motorway under licence 01E1229. The land was relatively flat in the immediate vicinity. On the 1843 and 1937 OS maps the land in this area was divided between the estates of Rocklands, Leopardstown and Murphystown (Glencairn on the 1937 map), with gardens, isolated trees, water features, large tree plantations, avenues and farmland. The boundaries of the field in which the site lay had not changed between the 1843 and 1937 map editions.

An area measuring c. 50m north-east/south-west by 30m was fenced off after being identified during topsoil-stripping. The site consisted of a ditch with evidence of a collapsed wall or stone bank, several fire-pits and post-holes.

The ditch, C55, meandered roughly north-north-eastward through the site and continued past the north-, east- and south-west-facing baulks. The excavated section was c. 40m long. It varied in form, depth (0.15–0.6m) and width (0.4–1.5m). It was on average 1m wide and generally U-shaped. The primary fill, C45, was identified at the base of most of the ditch but was absent from the northern end, where fills differed. Above this was C23. There were many large stones in this fill, along the entire length of the ditch; the stones were more densely concentrated in some places. They varied from angular to sub-round and from 0.1m to 0.4m long. They have been interpreted as collapsed wall rubble. About midway along the ditch on the western side, a single stone stands on the surface of the ground and may be the only stone of the wall to survive in situ. The soil component of this fill built up over and among the stones after the wall collapsed. A possible medieval pottery sherd and three pieces of flint were found in this fill. The fills in the northern part were different from those in the rest of the ditch as they contained more charcoal. This may have something to do with the burnt deposits associated with an area of burning, C99, to the west.

The ditch was not marked on the first-edition or later OS maps. Its use and destruction therefore pre-date the early 19th century. It can be suggested that it had an accompanying wall on its western side that collapsed or was dismantled into the ditch before the early 19th century. It may have been a medieval field boundary infilled in the 18th century during land works and parkland creation, perhaps associated with Rocklands or Leopardstown houses. It can also be suggested that the charcoal-rich deposit C64 was left here by the activities carried out in the burnt feature C99 to the east.

C99 was an irregular linear cut, with a maximum length of 2.84m, a width of 2m and a depth of 0.61m; the northern end of the cut was the deeper. Its fills had been burnt in situ.
C77 was a circular depression that had experienced burning. The scorching and charcoal content suggested that it had been a fire-pit.

Detailed discussion of the site is not possible at present as post-excavation work is in progress. The ditch running through the site is likely to date to the medieval period. At least one of the areas of scorching is contemporary with the silting up of the ditch.

Wood Road, Cratloekeel, Cratloe, Co. Clare