County: Kildare Site name: BLACKCHURCH (Site 14B)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KD015-014---- Licence number: 03E1837
Author: Tim Coughlan, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd.
Site type: Habitation site
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 696686m, N 724146m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.258852, -6.550890
The site was identified during pre-development N7 road widening centre-line testing by Shane Delaney (No. 881, Excavations 2003, 03E1606) carried out between 13 and 17 October 2003. The Naas Road Widening and Interchanges Scheme is essentially an improvement of the existing N7 between Maudlins Interchange and the Dublin/Kildare county boundary.
Site 14B was located immediately north of the existing N7 and immediately west of the Castlewarden Road. A 40m by 8m site was opened around the area of known archaeological importance in November 2003. A number of linear ditches were identified extending both east–west and north–south. It was evident from the basic stratigraphy that the features represented multiple phases of activity with different features cutting each other. The linear features appeared to represent alterations in field boundaries and/or drains. Most of the fills contained medieval pottery. Some later shallower recuts held post-medieval pottery. A number of irregular-shaped hollows filled with mixed organic soils that contained medieval pottery were identified within the natural subsoil. It is felt that these represented tree boles left after land clearance. All of the activity represents agricultural activity and the presence of the pottery in the dump fills suggests that there may be a medieval settlement in the vicinity.
8 Dungar Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
