2005:540 - TALLAGHT ROAD/GREENHILLS ROAD EXTENSION, TALLAGHT, Dublin

Test-trenching followed by limited excavation was carried out on a development site on the corner of Tallaght Road and Greenhills Road Extension, Tallaght. Earlier testing by Stuart Halliday in another part of the site took place in May 2004 (Excavations 2004, No. 656) and, for the sake of continuity, the same licence number was used for this phase of works. Testing took place between 12 and 14 October and subsequent excavation from 24 to 26 October 2005.
Three test-trenches were excavated. Two contained post-medieval and modern deposits and the third contained limited medieval remains. These consisted of two features cut into the subsoil. One was a shallow feature 7m long, c. 1m wide and 0.1–0.3m deep. It had a rounded terminus at its south-west end and was truncated to the north-east by a modern feature. It contained animal bone, seven sherds of cooking ware pot and nine sherds of glazed ware. All the pottery appeared to be Irish in origin and 12th–14th century in date. This appeared to be a drain.
A medieval pit was found 1.8m south-west of this feature. This was subrectangular with external measurements of 2.05m east–west by 1.25m and was 0.4–0.5m deep. Both the eastern and western ends were stone-lined with near-vertical faces of limestone angular blocks and rounded boulders up to four courses high. There were two distinct layers of fill. The upper layer consisted of silty grey clay with charcoal flecks and was 0.3–0.38m deep. It contained animal bone, four sherds of cooking ware and nine sherds of glazed ware. The pottery appeared to be Irish in origin and 12th–14th century in date. Within this layer a large, flat stone slab c. 0.5m by 0.7m was found. This may represent a capstone, suggesting that the pit was intentionally sealed at some point. The lower layer of fill consisted of very loose, soft, fine pale yellow/grey sand with crushed snail shells and mortar fragments. This layer was 0.06–0.12m deep and contained no finds. The effort that went into the building of a stone lining at either end would suggest this was intended as more than just a simple refuse pit. The mortar-like layer of fill at the base of the pit may suggest the pit was used for mortar production or storage. Similarly, the large capstone found in the fill suggests that this pit was intended to be covered.
During the course of excavation, the remains of a well came to light in the south-east of the site. This consisted of a circular stone-built shaft cut into the subsoil. The total height/depth of the feature was c. 15m. Its position on the site, which would have been towards the rear of one of the back gardens of the original houses on Tallaght Road (now demolished), would suggest this was an associated well for domestic use. On the basis of the date of the houses here and some of the walls found during the assessment, an 18th- or 19th-century date for the well is suggested.