County: Dublin Site name: FAIRVIEW TO SILLOGUE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1040
Author: Tom Rogers, Moore Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 722613m, N 738117m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.378989, -6.157091
Contract 4 of the Dublin North Fringe Water Supply Scheme involved the excavation of 400 slit-trenches, 55 trial-pits and 38 boreholes as part of the preliminary engineering site investigation works. The proposed development involves the laying of approximately 35km of water pipeline and the construction of a water tower and reservoir at Sillogue, near Dublin Airport. Monitoring of these preliminary excavations was carried out between August 2002 and February 2003. A targeted monitoring strategy was adopted to concentrate on areas of potential archaeological interest near RMP sites, river crossings and other areas of interest identified in advance.
Across the majority of the scheme, no features of archaeological interest were uncovered. However, along the coast road through Clontarf and Dollymount, stretches of the former Dublin-to-Howth tramline were uncovered immediately below the current road surface. The rails were set into a surface of squared cobbles. Due to the orientation of the slit-trenches, no two parallel rails were found, so the distance between could not be measured. In many places the rails had been disturbed by later services. The rails were left in situ. Also in Clontarf, to the east of the road, a possible medieval closed-arch culvert built with cut limestone was uncovered at a depth of 1.2m.
Corporate House, Ballybrit Business Park, Galway
