2004:0814 - CLANE: Liffey Lodge, Carrigeen, Kildare

Testing was undertaken at the site of a residential development at Liffey Lodge, south of Clane, Co. Kildare. Eighteen trenches were excavated throughout the development area with a mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless bucket. Of the eighteen trenches, six yielded features of archaeological interest.

Trenches A and B, situated closest to the motte and bailey, revealed extensive signs of human activity in the form of plough furrows, diagonal ditches and an isolated charcoal-filled pit. Trench I, situated close to a field boundary in the east of the site, exposed what appeared to be the western extremity of a V-shaped boundary ditch filled with light-brown silty clay. No datable material was recovered from this feature. Trench K also revealed the presence of a large V-shaped ditch. No datable material was recovered from this feature. Trench N revealed an east-west-orientated stone-filled field drain midway up the trench. It also revealed a 1.6mwide ditch, orientated north-west/south-east and extending for 12m. It was filled by mottled brown silty clay, which had shell and bone inclusions. No artefacts were recovered from the ditch fill, but the presence of shell and bone would appear to indicate that the feature is of archaeological significance. Trench Q revealed a 3.6m-long portion of a slightly bending east-west-running lime-mortar-bonded stone wall. Between six and seven courses of this 0.7m-high and 0.4m-thick wall were visible, constructed with both rounded and angular stones.

Of the six trenches in which material was recorded, four will be under threat of impact from the development. The features recorded in Trenches K and N are sufficiently deep to allow in situ preservation. In light of this, mitigatory measures were recommended to ensure their preservation.

Editor's note: Though carried out in 2002, this summary was received too late for inclusion in the bulletin of that year.

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