2005:1426 - DUNDRUM: Dundrum House Hotel, Tipperary

Testing was undertaken from 17–19 January 2005 associated with the development of nineteen apartments, a sewerage treatment plant, 24 holiday cottages at two clusters, fourteen detached holiday homes, a 40–bedroom hotel, spa and conference centre and bridges and roads within the grounds of Dundrum Demesne, Co. Tipperary. The proposed development is sited within both the parkland/previously developed grounds of the demesne, as well as on adjacent greenfield areas to the south-east of the existing hotel, leisure centre and golf course. The intended development involves surface-stripping of the ground and foundation excavation at the locations of development. The only exception to this is the sewerage treatment plant, which will receive limited ground intrusions. The entire property encompasses an area of over 10ha, of which the impacts of the footprint of the proposed developments take in a total 41600m2.

The remains of a previously unknown enclosure were identified in one of the test-trenches. It was sited on a slight north-east to south-west ridge, which falls gently to the south-west. Prior to excavation, a slight 2m-wide depression in the ground surface, up to 0.3m in depth, was noted. It appeared to follow the outline of an elongated high point of the ridge in an oval layout, measuring 38m by 32m. This indicated the potential for a possible enclosure of archaeological value. Upon excavation, to the surface of the natural subsoil (mid-orange silty clay with limestone inclusions), nothing of archaeological value was encountered, with the exception of the ‘depressions’, where infilled ditch depressions were revealed near either end of the test-trench. The surface of the fill was exposed to reveal a peaty brown soil of 1.16–1.33m in width, with distinctive edges. Hand excavation of the fill presented a shallow ditch profile of up to 0.11m in depth. No artefacts were recovered within the fill and no other features were encountered.

While no hard evidence was found to conclusively determine that this site was of archaeological value, its siting on a ridge, the enclosing element it described and the distinctive edges to the ditch combine to determine that this site is an enclosure of archaeological value. The previous lack of knowledge of this site is probably due to its denuded nature for quite some time. Examination of the aerial photography shows a discernible oval outline in the field at this location.

Lower Green, Cashel, Co. Tipperary