2008:434 - Dublin Zoo (African Plains), Phoenix Park, Dublin, Dublin

Test-trenching was undertaken at the ‘African Plains’ exhibition area of Dublin Zoo, in advance of the complete relandscaping of the site into a new ‘African Savannah’. The site of the proposed development lies in the former grounds of the Vice-Regal Lodge, now Áras an Uachtaráin. The current boundary of the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin adjoins the north-west of the site, with its former eastern gatelodges to the south-east. The site was incorporated into the zoo in the late 20th century.
The site consisted of a roughly triangular enclosure, 3ha in size, divided into two areas which were separated by an elongated sinuous ridge. Both areas of the site were used to accommodate a variety of zoo animals (giraffe, zebra, oryx and ostrich). Five trenches were excavated, and in general topsoil and underlying interstitial layers were removed to a natural silty subsoil, at a depth of c. 0.4–0.5m.
A low level scattering of pottery sherds, along with some glass and tile, was noted across the site, primarily in the topsoil. These were of 19th- and 20th-century origin and were probably the result of manuring practices in the area during this time. None of the pottery was considered high-status and was more likely to have been brought in from outside the area than to have been associated with the Vice-Regal Lodge. A considerable number of field drains were identified in all four test-trenches, which are probably 19th century in date, relating to estate management associated with the Vice-Regal demesne. A pathway was identified, visible as a concentration of stone within the topsoil, and correlated with that shown on the 19th-century OS maps linking the Vice-Regal Lodge to a gatehouse. The casual construction of the pathway suggests it was laid to serve foot rather than vehicular traffic.