County: Dublin Site name: RATHFARNHAM: Columba's College, Taylor's Grange
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0397
Author: Claire Walsh
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 715725m, N 725628m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.268352, -6.265117
The site forms part of the lands of St Columba's College and when the work was monitored is under forestry planted in 1997. There are three monuments in the immediate vicinity of the site, including St Sabh's well, which is on the site (SMR 22–32). The area is rich in sites of archaeological significance and many new sites were uncovered in the immediate locality in the course of recent construction work.
Test excavation was undertaken on 8 March 2004. Five trenches were opened by mechanical excavator (wheeled Atlas) fitted with a grading bucket. Four of the trenches extended east-west to the south of the tennis court, while the fifth extended north-south along the east side of the tennis court. No trench was cut through the tennis court and no work was carried out in the vicinity of St Sabh's well. There are no plans to landscape the area around the well, so the shrubbery here will be left intact.
The results of the excavation are largely negative, except for several shallow charcoal-filled cuts in Trench 1. There is minimal soil cover over much of the north end of the site. However, there is no subsoil disturbance from the seven-year-old forestry. These roots are very shallow.
Excavation of these features and any others which may be revealed on the site is a condition of the grant of permission.
27 Coulson Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin 6
