2002:0497 - CLONDALKIN: Brookfield House, Ninth Lock Road, Dublin

Pre-development testing was carried out from 27 to 29 March 2002 before a major commercial and residential development at Brookfield House, Clondalkin. The site is within 150m of the boundary of the early monastic enclosure of Clondalkin, represented by Orchard Lane. It comprises two adjacent fields on the northern bank of the River Camac, covering an area of 1.3ha.

Testing consisted of the excavation of ten trenches running north–south at regular intervals across the area of the development. These were excavated using a tracked machine equipped with a 2m ditching bucket.

In the larger field, to the east (Field 2), testing revealed that modern disturbance had penetrated to the depth of subsoil over the entire area of the field. Recent quarrying had also resulted in extensive disturbance in the northern half of Field 1. Topsoil depth throughout the site was relatively consistent: c. 0.3–0.4m.

Archaeological deposits of medieval date were exposed in the southern half of Field 1. These consisted of two ditches and a series of cultivation furrows, indicating at least two separate phases of cultivation and enclosure in the later medieval period. A number of fragments of Leinster cooking ware and locally produced wares of 13–14th-century date were recovered from within these features. Groundworks in the area were halted, and the features were later excavated and resolved under a separate licence (see No. 498, Excavations 2002, 02E0438).

The existing licence was extended to cover monitoring of the remainder of the development. This took place on a number of days between March and August 2002. No further features of archaeological significance were exposed.

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