County: Wicklow Site name: BLESSINGTON DEMESNE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1748
Author: Bernice Molloy, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Designed landscape - avenue
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 697205m, N 714933m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.175986, -6.545908
Blessington Demesne is west of Blessington village. A narrow avenue runs from Blessington Church to the remains of Downshire House, which was constructed in the late 17th century by Michael Doyle, the archbishop of Dublin. A solitary stairwell with an underground cellar comprises the only visible remains of the house. There are two old farm buildings to the south of Downshire House, adjacent to the inner demesne wall, which may be contemporary with the demesne.
A housing development is planned for Blessington Demesne. The development also involves retail, educational and leisure facilities and the construction of part of the Blessington Inner Relief Road.
The assessment at Downshire House involved several stages of testing. Trenches were opened within the constraint area of a possible rectangular enclosure (SMR 5:20) and in the modern farmyard close to the old farm buildings. Trenches were also required along the main avenue and the crow’s-foot avenue in order to record their construction before development. A survey of the demesne wall where it is to be breached by the Inner Relief Road was also carried out.
Five trenches were excavated in the constraint area of SMR 5:20, which was tested on the other side of the boundary fence by Malachy Conway; nothing of archaeological significance was found. A ditch was revealed in Trenches 1, 2 and 3. It was 2m wide and 0.6–0.8m deep. It was traced westward downslope toward a stream and may have been a drainage channel.
Four trenches were excavated in the modern farmyard to ascertain whether there were any subsurface remains of old farm buildings. The foundations of a wall were recorded in Trenches 1, 2 and 3. This wall ran parallel to the farmyard wall and is likely to be the other enclosing wall of the farmyard. It is probably contemporary with the demesne wall.
Three trenches were excavated across the main avenue in order to record its stratigraphy and construction. Trench 1 measured 15m (north–south) by 1.8m. The avenue was clearly visible in section, but its construction was not as clearly defined as in Trenches 2 and 3. It was composed mainly of gravels within compact clays. At the base of the trench a thin, compact deposit of gravel, stone and occasional red brick was visible. The avenue was 0.6m deep. Trench 2 measured 10m (north–south) by 1.8m. The avenue was clearly visible in section and had distinct deposits of stone and gravel. Trench 3 measured 9m by 1.8m. It had similar stone-and-gravel deposits to Trench 2.
The crow’s-foot avenue was to the north-east of the main avenue. It was clearly visible on the landscape before excavation. Three trenches were excavated, but the remains of the avenue were visible only in Trench 1. No clear stratigraphy was evident, but the avenue was composed of several indistinct layers of gravel.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
