2008:447 - Clonskeagh HSE, Vergemount, Dublin, Dublin

Monitoring took place of groundworks at a proposed development site located within the grounds of Clonskeagh Hospital, Vergemount, Dublin 14. The development consists of the demolition of two one-storey buildings and the construction of a community nursing unit at the south-western corner of the site. Monitoring of groundworks commenced in April 2008 and continued to the end of August.
The existing building was demolished and its foundations were stripped out, revealing no earlier features. The southern area of the site was subsequently cleaned back to formation level, although not entirely to the natural subsoil. However, numerous foundation trenches and pads were dug below the level of the subsoil surface. Subsoil-cut features in the form of two broadly east to west aligned, shallow, stone-capped drains were recorded in the excavated trenches in this area. Both drains were identical in construction and dimensions, measuring 0.6m in maximum width by 0.2m in maximum depth. These drains had steeply sloping sides, which ran into a concave base, and were capped with rough-cut flat stone slabs. Both were filled with loose dark-brown silty soil containing occasional small shell fragments and clinkers.
An area measuring 30m from east-south-east to west-north-west by 14m was stripped in the north-eastern area of the site. Between 0.40–0.68m of topsoil was removed, exposing the natural clay subsoil. Ploughmarks were evident running both north-east to south-west and north-west to south-east in this area; these were filled by brown silty soil with occasional red brick and white-glazed ceramics. Two parallel linear features were noted running north-west to south-east towards the east end of the stripped area, extending beyond the open strip limits. Both features were hand tested and were revealed to be steep-sided flat-bottomed cuts measuring c. 3m in width by 0.13m in depth, with infill consisting of grey brown silty clay containing occasional clinkers, red brick, shell fragments and modern ceramics as well as metal pipe sections. Both features appeared to be modern machine-dug trenches. The easternmost trench was also cut by a later modern service pipe.
An area measuring 5m by 5m was dug adjoining the south side of the open-strip area; c. 0.3m of remaining overburden was removed, exposing the natural clay. The service pipe noted in the open-strip area was again revealed. No archaeological deposits were uncovered.
A service trench excavated at the east and north perimeter of the site uncovered two drains. The first of these was cut from just below the sod surface to a depth of 0.38m below the natural subsoil. This drain was broadly east to west aligned, measured 0.4m in width and was traceable for a length of 2m. It had straight sides with a slightly concave base. The lower 0.3m of its depth was filled by redeposited natural clay and mid-sized uncut stones, while the remaining depth was filled with loose dark grey silty soil. This drain was waterlogged towards its base and a piece of plastic bag was recovered from the basal deposit. The plastic bag fragment and the thin sod growth sealing the drain cut indicate a modern date for this drain.
The second drain uncovered was north-north-east/south-south-west-aligned and extended into the eastern limit of excavation, c. 3m from the south side of the modern drain above. This second drain was capped with rough-cut stone slabs, which were revealed at a depth of 0.55m from the modern ground surface. It measured 5m in visible length by 0.5m in width and 0.1m in depth. This drain was filled by light-brown clay silt, which produced no finds.
A number of small trial holes were dug across the site in order to locate water mains and other services. These pits typically measured 0.5m by 1m in width and 0.7m in depth, with between 0.4 to in excess of 0.7m of topsoil/overburden excavated. Aside from modern water pipes and electrical cables, no features were uncovered.
An area measuring c. 15m east-south-east to west-north-west by 25m was stripped at the northern end of the site. The subsoil in this area was overlain by c. 0.6–0.8m of overburden. A well with rough-cut stone slab capping (which had partially collapsed) was revealed in this area. The capping was present at a depth of 0.9m (21.715m OD) from the subsoil surface and was overlain by yellow-light-brown, heavy silty clay, which contained red-brick fragments and modern ceramic sherds. The well was circular in shape with a diameter of 1.2m and an internal lining of rough-cut randomly coursed drystone construction. A metal pipe extended down the depth of the well, below the stone capping, at the south-eastern side, and was probably the same pipe noted in the open strip area. The well measured 4.6m in depth (18.04m OD) from the subsoil surface, although it should be noted that material from the top of the well had collapsed to the base, and the original depth would have been somewhat greater.
The results of the monitoring indicate the usage of the area in the modern period for apparently agricultural purposes. This is evidenced by the presence of the ploughmarks noted in the open strip area in the centre of the site, the drains at the south and north ends of the site and the well with its associated water pipe towards the north. No evidence for earlier human activity was noted in any of the areas stripped on-site. There are no recorded archaeological sites within the footprint of the proposed development or within the boundary of the study area.