County: Dublin Site name: Kilsallaghan
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0326 ext.
Author: John O’Connor, Ballingoola, Grange, Co. Limerick, for ADS Ltd.
Site type: Burnt mound, etc.
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 711583m, N 748632m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.475886, -6.319063
Testing was carried out prior to a new development at Kilsallaghan, Fingal, Co. Dublin. The site is located to the north of the previously tested proposed access road (see No. 523 above). The proposed development site covers an area of c. 6.1 acres.
A geophysical survey of the site was undertaken prior to the archaeological testing. This revealed a large area of probable archaeological features in the centre of the northern field, as well as numerous smaller features of varying levels of archaeological potential.
Testing of the site was conducted over a two-week period from 19 to 29 November 2007. In total, 865m of trenches were excavated, consisting of a 155m-long centre trench and twelve offset trenches.
Testing of the large area of probable archaeological features identified in the geophysical survey resulted in the discovery of the remains of a burnt mound that was heavily truncated by the later insertion of a series of field drains.
The remains were uncovered in the centre trench, from CH65 to CH83, and in two offset trenches. They consisted of a spread of burnt and fire-affected stones that extended over an area that measured 6.2m east–west by 3.8m. The northern limit of the spread was defined by a possible pit with two fills and a possible lining. Both the pit and the mound were truncated to the north-east by a probable field drain, although it is possible that this feature is associated with the mound. A small spread of burnt-mound material was also located in one of the offset trenches (T137). It appears to have been virtually destroyed by later agricultural activity. It is truncated to the east and west by two probable drains. The area immediately north of the mound material is also characterised by numerous possible drains, although some may be associated with the burnt mound. A large spread of charcoal-flecked material located to the south of the fire-affected stones is probably part of the mound and, while two semicircular features may also be part of the mound, it is possible that they are more modern. This would mean that the total area of the mound revealed in the trenches would be at least 6.2m east–west by 11.2m.
The remaining test-trenches uncovered evidence of a probable field boundary in Field 1, two probable ditches in Field 5, along with three gullies, two stone-filled drains, seven field drains and a further ten probable field drains.
