County: Wicklow Site name: Rathdown Lower, Greystones
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0457
Author: David A. McCullough, The Crossways, Ballyline, Callan, Co. Kilkenny for Project Manager: ADCO: The Archaeological Diving Company Ltd.
Site type: Pier removal
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 729551m, N 712839m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.150293, -6.063159
Wicklow County Council has commissioned a series of archaeological reports as part of an environmental impact statement to inform the archaeological potential associated with the Greystones Harbour Development Scheme in Rathdown Upper and Lower townlands, Co. Wicklow. An Bord Pleanála has granted permission to Wicklow County Council to proceed with the development. The archaeological requirement involves a series of measures, which include detailed planning of the existing pier structure and related features, detailed planning of the Gap Bridge, monitoring of the marine-dredging component, monitoring of the removal of the Gap Bridge and monitoring of all ground disturbance associated with the scheme. In addition, a programme of archaeological investigation was required in D’Arcy’s field, where it is proposed to construct a batching plant and casting yard and to excavate a borrow pit.
The current regime of pier removal, associated ground disturbance and development in the vicinity of Greystones Pier is ongoing and has yet to yield any features or artefacts of archaeological significance. Monitoring will be conducted for ground-disturbance works associated with this scheme, with the proviso for full excavation of any archaeologically significant material uncovered as part of the operation.
