2002:0490 - CASTLEKNOCK: St Vincent’s College, Dublin

Monitoring of topsoil-stripping was undertaken for nine days from 29 April 2002 at the site of a proposed residential development, to the west and north of the grounds of St Vincent’s College, Castleknock. The site incorporated two fields that had previously been used for pasture and a derelict farmstead. The area monitored was L-shaped and measured 470m by 470m. The soil-stripping revealed a consistent stratigraphy, with little variation in depth and soil composition. Seven possible archaeological features were identified spread over an area of 88m by 28m in the field to the west of the college, situated in flat, even ground without an apparent pattern. These were provisionally identified as pits and areas of burning of possible prehistoric to early modern date and were subsequently excavated (see No. 491, Excavations 2002, 02E0655). Finds recovered from the topsoil-stripping included modern pottery and a flint thumbnail scraper. One possible ferrous pin fragment, a sherd of unglazed medieval pottery and a flint flake were found in association with Features 1, 3 and 5 during the initial investigation. No finds, features or deposits of archaeological significance were identified in the area of the derelict farmstead or in the field to the north of the college, with the exception of an infilled ditch feature oriented north–south, corresponding with a field boundary depicted on the first-edition OS map of 1865.

32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2