County: Dublin Site name: MILLTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU017-108---- Licence number: 02E1281
Author: Helen Kehoe
Site type: Burial ground
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 701373m, N 731699m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.325828, -6.478259
The general geological profile of the lands between Peamount and Lucan comprised, for the most part, fairly shallow topsoil over a natural limestone rock shelf, into which the Lucan–Palmerstown Water Supply Scheme pipeline trench was excavated, varying between 2–2.5m wide by 2.5–3m deep. Monitoring of the removal of topsoil along the pipeline corridor in the townland of Milltown revealed a new cemetery site, located in open farmland and not near any known monument. Preliminary recording of the extent and apparent east–west orientation of the burials, within the pipeline corridor, suggests an Early Christian date, but this can only be confirmed through future excavation. The burials appeared to extend westwards outside the pipeline corridor and may indicate other associated archaeological features present in this field.
The limited skeletal material exposed appeared to have been partially disturbed, most likely from past ploughing, and was generally in a poor state of preservation. There were no finds noted which may have been associated with the burials. In agreement with the relevant authorities, the skeletal deposits remain in situ, and the pipeline route was redirected 10m east into the adjacent eastern field, in which no further evidence for skeletal deposits was found.
11 Norseman Place, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
