2002:0605 - KILGOBBIN, Dublin

Several archaeological investigations relating to proposed service trenches associated with a residential development at Stepaside were carried out in July, October and December 2002. The site is in the field to the north of Kilgobbin tower-house (SMR 25:17(01)), which forms part of the SMR constraint area of the settlement of Kilgobbin. The field is in a low-lying area adjoining Kilgobbin stream, which is now culverted and covered by the boundary wall of Sandyford Hall housing estate.

Two trenches were opened in July 2002, which were not further investigated because of the relocation of the pipeline corridor. Four further trenches were opened in October along the revised corridor on the northern side of the field. Several post-medieval features were revealed, as well as a small number of sherds of medieval pottery.

The proposed pipeline corridor was subsequently investigated during excavations in December 2002. The corridor measured c. 110m east–west by c. 13m. Although the vast majority of features uncovered dated to the post-medieval period, a small number of medieval features were also revealed.

Evidence of post-medieval activity was found throughout the investigated area, comprising plough furrows, several stone drains and drainage ditches, and two field boundaries, oriented north–south. Only the foundation courses of these well-built drystone walls survived, constructed of large facing-stones with a central rubble infill. The wall at the western side of the excavated area had been partially disturbed when a stone drain was inserted along its western side and through a 2m-wide entrance gap toward the northern side of the wall. Some of the facing-stones were reused as capping for the stone drain itself, which terminates in a ditch along the eastern side of the wall. The entrance gap was blocked off with material that included a fragment of a granite quernstone. The stone wall at the eastern side of the investigated area is c. 2m west of the present field boundary. Two further wall sections run toward the present boundary in the east. A cobbled area was revealed along the southern side of the wall, overlying a post-medieval ditch.

Two heavily truncated medieval pits were partially uncovered along the southern limits of the investigated area. They were 0.75m and 1.45m long (east–west) and 0.15–0.2m deep. A set of furrows oriented east–west along the western side of the excavated area was disturbed by post-medieval ploughing activity running perpendicular to it. The earlier activity was bounded in the east by a north–south-running ditch and in the west by a further substantial ditch. Both of these ditches may date to the medieval period.

The western ditch runs adjacent to the present field boundary, which is a continuation of the beech-lined boundary to the west of Kilgobbin tower-house. Although there is a ditch alongside this boundary in the west, no evidence of the eastern ditch uncovered during excavation was visible at modern field level. Two cuttings were excavated, but only about half of the width of the eastern ditch was revealed within the investigated corridor. Apart from some unburnt animal bone, two small sherds of medieval pottery were recovered. Further investigations of this ditch will be carried out in 2003.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin