2006:577 - Phase 2, The Park, Carrickmines Great, Dublin

Planning permission was granted in 2003 by An Bord Pleanála for the erection of a 53,741m2 commercial and retail development at Carrickmines. The site is located to the south of a section of the Pale boundary (DU026–115) and to the east of Carrickmines Castle (DU026–005).
The zone of archaeological potential which surrounds Carrickmines Castle is located immediately east of the site. The layout of the land surrounding the castle site has changed considerably in the last year and a new roundabout with motorway slip roads is now located within the zone of archaeological potential and extends around the site to the east and north.
The stretch of the Pale Ditch near Carrickmines extends for over 500m, broken in one or two places by access lanes, and is orientated slightly south-eastwards of east–west. It runs almost parallel to the Ballyogan Road and to a small river, which runs eastwards towards Carrickmines. The western end disappears under the Ballyogan tip-head and may well have been longer before the opening of this dump. The preservation varies along its length, but generally it varies from 2 to 3m in width at the top and stands 2.5m above the present bottoms of the ditches. The ditches vary from 2 to 3m in width. The bank has hedgerow trees growing along the length of it, mainly on the sides, leaving a clear path along the top. Many of the trees are of considerable age, with hawthorns of girth up to 1.3m and clumps of ash, sycamore and hawthorn as coppice regrowth from now disappeared stumps. The ditch is aligned on Carrickmines Castle to the east but currently terminates west of Grimes’ farmhouse.
Monitoring of topsoil-stripping in conjunction with The Park was undertaken in 2004 by Red Tobin (Excavations 2004, No. 477) in relation to the access roads and retail park development. A total of 22 small archaeological areas were identified, with evidence for a fulacht fiadh, a cremation pit and a scatter of isolated hearths.
Further monitoring was undertaken by Teresa Bolger in September 2005, when topsoil-stripping took place over the section of the development site to the south of the main access road and to the east of the retail park area (Buildings 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 95). No features of archaeological interest were identified (Excavations 2005, No. 396).
Phase 2 of the development comprised the construction of a large basement carpark within an area 200m by 180m, with associated roads and services. The bulk excavation was 4m in depth. This phase of work also entailed the diversion of the Ballyogan Stream, which has the DU026–115 earthwork running parallel to its northern bank further to the north-west in the townland of Jamestown. The diversion involved the excavation of a trench 0.7m in width by 0.5m in depth, 5m north of the present course of the stream, over a distance of c. 25m.
The stream diversion and all topsoil-stripping over the site were monitored and nothing of any archaeological significance was recorded.