2009:301 - COLLEGELAND/BROWNSBARN, Dublin

An archaeological assessment was carried out in the adjoining townlands of Collegeland and Brownsbarn, Baldonnell, Co. Dublin, at the site of a possible ringfort (DU021–021). Previous archaeological work at the site included test-trenching by John “ N&ill along the northern part of the supposed ringfort in 2000 (Excavations 2000, No. 212, 00E0541) as well as a geophysical survey of the entire ringfort site and the surrounding area in 2009 (09R0161). Neither of these investigations found any evidence for a ringfort, although the geophysical survey did suggest the presence of some areas of possible burning.
As part of the testing programme, eight trenches were excavated at the site of the possible ringfort. The deposits identified in these trenches suggested that the site was subjected to waterlogging and flooding, probably from the adjacent Camac River. Although a series of land drains, palaeochannels and 19thcentury field boundaries were identified, no evidence for a ringfort was uncovered during the testing programme. However, despite the absence of a ringfort, a number of pits and areas of burnt stone, suggestive of burnt-mound activity, were identified in Collegeland townland. These corresponded to the areas of burning originally identified on the geophysical survey and probably represent the remains of much-denuded burnt mounds/fulachta fiadh. The site was originally classified as a possible ringfort due to a 1943 article by Ua Broin, in which he states ^a curved surface depression seems to mark the site of a rath’ (Ua Broin 1943, 79–97). In light of the testing results, it seems more probable that this curving depression represented the remains of a palaeochannel, a land drain or a disused field boundary rather than an archaeological feature.
Reference
Ua Broin, L. 1943 Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, and its neighbourhood. JRSAI, 82–8.