County: Kildare Site name: Grangebeg
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KD027–004, KD027–038 Licence number: 07E0842 ext.
Author: Emer Dennehy, 6 Coolaghknock Green, The Plains, Kildare, Co. Kildare.
Site type: Monitoring
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 668026m, N 710747m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.142895, -6.983199
Monitoring of ground-disturbance works associated with the construction of a private house was undertaken at Grangebeg, Co. Kildare. The site encompasses the remains of a mound (barrow) site (KD027–004) and a possible megalithic structure (KD027–038). The barrow was the subject of a small rescue excavation in 2007 (Excavations 2007, No. 809, 07E0842), undertaken in order to determine the extent of damage encountered during land-improvement works.
The proposed house site and access road were located 30m to the west of the possible megalithic structure KD027–038. The topsoil was mechanically removed by a track machine fitted with a 2m grading bucket. Topsoil was removed to an average depth of 0.3m exposing a compact mid-yellow-brown silty-clay subsoil. The subsoil exhibited evidence of heavy north–south plough scarring consistent with recent land-improvement activities. No features or stratigraphy of an archaeological nature were identified.
The planning application for this site also included permission to construct stables and associated outbuildings to the south-east of the house site. The construction of these buildings has not commenced to date.
