County: Dublin Site name: Flemington Lane, Flemingtown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0528
Author: James Lyttleton, The Archaeology Company, Hamilton House, Emmet Square, Birr, Co. Offaly.
Site type: Medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 718140m, N 764384m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.615950, -6.214395
Pre-planning testing was carried out of a site at Flemington Lane, north-west of Balbriggan town centre, Co. Dublin. The site is at the northern end of a proposed ring road where it merges with Flemington Lane. It is bounded to the south by a holy well (DU001–004). A previous geophysical survey recorded three definite archaeological features in the immediate vicinity of the holy well and the proposed road route. These included part of a large settlement complex c. 100m south of the holy well, possibly early medieval in date, and the remains of a prehistoric barrow site. Testing was carried out between 26 and 30 June 2008 on one of two proposed routes for the ring road. Twelve test-trenches with a total length of 353m were opened, 10m apart, across the site. Trenches 1–3 and 10–12 revealed a number of modern stone drains associated with drainage and a field boundary, but nothing of archaeological significance. Archaeology was, however, revealed in Trenches 4, 7 and 9, where features of medieval date were revealed.
In Trench 4 three linear features were exposed, filled with mid-brownish-grey sandy clay. Two of these features produced medieval pottery including a fragment of Leinster cooking ware. In Trench 7 another three linear features were uncovered, filled with mid-greyish-brown to yellow silty clay. Also found in this trench was a curvilinear feature, measuring c. 4m in diameter and filled with mid-brownish-grey silty clay. Its cut was shallow with gradually sloping sides descending into a concave base, measuring 0.35m wide and 0.07m deep. Trench 9 also produced a linear feature, filled with mid-greyish-brown silty clay. One piece of medieval pottery was recovered from this feature. The location of the holy well close to the area further implies the potential for subsurface features associated with the activities around the well.
Due to the exposure of medieval features, a possible prehistoric feature, the substantial archaeology in the surrounding fields, and the close proximity to the holy well, it was recommended that the road lay out be altered to minimise the impact on the underlying archaeology and if this is not possible, that all features revealed to be fully excavated.
