County: Dublin Site name: Balbutcher Lane, Poppintree Park, Ballymun
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU014–064, 014–065 Licence number: 06E0463
Author: Hilary Opie, 103 Cherrywood Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, for ADS Ltd.
Site type: No archaeological significance.
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 714140m, N 740109m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.398783, -6.283658
Test-trenching was carried out on a proposed residential development site at Poppintree Park, Balbutcher Lane, Ballymun, Dublin (the former home of Willow’s Football Club), between 26 and 28 June 2006. The proposed development was located within the vicinity of two known archaeological monuments. The site measured c. 200m long in the north and up to 360m long in the south and between 100 and 170m wide. At the time of testing the site was greenfield, having being used as a park and football pitch, with the whole of the park having the appearance of being heavily landscaped in recent times.
A series of 22 trenches were excavated by machine, with the trenches varying between 15 and 60m in length and 2.5m wide. Three typical stratigraphies were noted across the site. Those trenches located on the flat of the football pitch areas consisted of a thin sod and topsoil layer c. 0.2–0.25m deep. Underlying the topsoil was undisturbed natural, consisting of compact, very stony pale orange boulder clay. Other trenches were located on parts of the site that rose quite steeply from the south to the north. In these trenches there was a thin sod and topsoil layer that overlay a very mixed, modern layer of topsoil, rubble and rubbish containing stone, red brick, plastic bags, scrap metal, beer cans, clothing fabric, etc. This was up to 1.25m deep in the north of the trenches, gradually petering out to the south. This was clearly made-up ground representing modern landscaping creating artificial rises to the north of the site. Underlying this layer to the north, and topsoil to the south, was undisturbed natural. The third typical stratigraphy was noted in a series of trenches which ran parallel to a modern hedgerow. This consisted of sod and a loose topsoil layer with considerable root activity throughout and was 0.2–0.3m deep. Underlying this was undisturbed natural.
Finds from the trenches consisted of modern rubbish such as crisp packets, beer bottles, plastic bags, etc. No evidence of archaeological activity in the form of artefacts or features was noted in any of the excavated trenches.
