County: Kildare Site name: NURNEY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 27:25–8 Licence number: 02E1126
Author: Hilary Opie, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd.
Site type: Field system
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 670442m, N 705633m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.096633, -6.948212
Investigations were carried out at the site of a proposed housing development at Nurney, Co. Kildare. The site lies immediately south and west of the ruins of a medieval church and graveyard, with the sites of a nunnery and two castles also nearby. An archaeological assessment had recommended that a geophysical survey of the site be carried out. As a result of these findings, and because of the proximity of the church and graveyard, testing was recomm-ended before the start of construction work. The development site measures c. 220m north–south by 200m, and testing took place from 9 to 17 July 2002.
Five trenches were excavated. Their location was based largely on the results of the geophysical survey. Sod and topsoil were removed by machine, and the trenches were then cleaned back and excavated by hand. Each trench measured 15m by 2m. Trenches 2 and 3 produced evidence of medieval activity. The others contained no finds or features of an archaeological nature.
Trench 2 was in the far south of the development area and contained evidence of a curvilinear ditch feature, several burnt spreads and a stake-hole. Several furrows and another shallow ditch feature were also observed. These probably related to the later, post-medieval field system. However, a sherd of local, unglazed, medieval cooking ware was found on the surface of the curvilinear ditch. Trench 3 was in the east of the development area and contained a series of eight parallel furrows running north–south. Medieval pottery was found at the base of two of the furrows, suggesting that this may have been part of a medieval field system.
Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny
