2006:567 - BALROTHERY: The Balrothery Inn, Dublin

Test-trenching was carried out in the grounds of the Balrothery Inn and an adjoining bungalow over six days in July 2006. The site is located at the western side of the village of Balrothery, Co. Dublin, and 80m north of St Peter’s medieval church and graveyard (DU005–057(03, 05)). Balrothery is a historic village traditionally tracing its roots back to the Anglo-Norman period. Recent archaeological work in and around the village shows a much longer history of settlement in the area. Most of the new evidence came to light during development on the elevated lands to the east of the main village street (the Old Coach Road). The street appears to follow the same north–south axis as the medieval settlement of ‘Balruddery’, which extended from the castle and St Peter’s medieval church and graveyard at the south to roughly the junction of School Lane, Coach Road and the R132 at the north. In the post-medieval period, Balrothery was one of the main watering places along the Dublin–Drogheda highway, and subsequent coach route. The Balrothery Inn was one of a number of local taverns that flourished during the 17th century, one of which, if John Dunton’s account of 1698 is to be believed, achieved some notoriety owing to the disappearance of a group of travellers and their horses. The rerouting of the Dublin–Drogheda coach road in the 19th century led to the decline of the settlement of Balrothery. The road was initially diverted on to the lower ground west of the present development site, but, ultimately, the line was completely rerouted to run further inland via the village of Ashbourne.

For most of its history, the landscape context of the development site would have been gently sloping ground on the east bank of a relatively small river. The valley floor appears to have been boggy and poorly drained and, as a result, the prehistoric, early medieval and Anglo-Norman settlement was concentrated on the higher ground east of the present development site. The rerouting of the Coach Road onto the valley floor in the 19th century cut off the river from its natural hinterland. However, the general area of the proposed development remained in agricultural use up to the 1970s, at which time the bungalow, an extension to the inn, and a large carpark were built.

For the purposes of testing, the site was divided into two parts: Area 1, the bungalow and its surrounding gardens, scheduled for retail/apartment development, and Areas 2/3, the south end of the inn carpark, scheduled for housing development and comprising a grassed-over area at the south-east end (Area 2) and part of the carpark at the south-west end (Area 3).

Altogether ten test-trenches were opened. Trenches 1–3 were located in the front gardens of the bungalow in Area 1, Trenches 4–6/6a were located in Area 2 and Trenches 7–9/9a and 10 were located in Area 3. In most cases the trenches were excavated down to natural clays.

No definite archaeological remains came to light in Area 1 and the land there appears to have been peaty and poorly drained.

The main findings of Areas 2/3 indicate that this area was part of a medieval agricultural landscape that probably extended from the rear of the main street properties at the east to the river at the west. A number of plough furrows were identified and the remains of a granite field wall came to light in Trenches 5 and 6a in Area 2. Associated pottery suggests a medieval date for these features. Ploughing activity was also identified on the more gravelly clays at the western end of Area 3. Truncated medieval stratigraphy in the eastern sectors of Trenches 9 and 10 may also result from ploughing, but this is not certain. It is possible, for example, that that particular area was used as an open yard/farmyard in the medieval period. A spread of burnt stones and charcoal near the western end of Trench 10 remains undated. It may also be a medieval feature, resulting perhaps from land clearance, but it is also possible that the feature is a ploughed-out fulacht fiadh or ancient cooking place of possible prehistoric date.

Altogether 57 sherds of medieval pottery were recovered during the testing, the majority of the assemblage consisting of local wares of 13th/14th-century date. The origins of the pottery could be the nearby St Peter’s Church, or the medieval settlements that were concentrated along the higher ground to the east of the site. No features of post-medieval date came to light, but a small amount of post-medieval pottery was scattered throughout the ploughsoil.

7 De Burgh Road, Dublin 7