County: Kildare Site name: GREY ABBEY ROAD, KILDARE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KD022–029 Licence number: 09E0100
Author: Martin E. Byrne, Byrne Mullins & Associates, 7 Cnoc na Greine Square, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare.
Site type: Pits (post-medieval)
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 672731m, N 711932m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.152924, -6.912621
Testing was undertaken of proposed development lands located on the eastern side of Grey Abbey Road, Kildare (Tully West townland). Part of the site is located within the zone of archaeological potential established for Kildare and the site is situated to the east of Grey Abbey, a Franciscan house dating to the mid-13th century.
A total of 57 trenches were excavated by machine fitted with a toothless ditching bucket. The only features of archaeological potential uncovered were from the northern length of Trench 1, in the northwestern corner of the overall landholding. The fills of two possible drains/ditches were uncovered, from which 18th/19th-century pottery sherds were recovered from the surface. Neither of these features was further investigated. In addition, a possible pit, where two sherds of 17th-century pottery were recovered from the surface, was further investigated and found to contain a basal layer of charcoal.
A total of 51 sherds of pottery were recovered and submitted to Clare McCutcheon for identification. Nineteen of the sherds were of medieval date, with the remainder dating to the post-medieval period. In general, such fragments were recovered from the topsoil, except for the six sherds associated with the possible archaeological features. In addition, a fragment of architectural window moulding was recovered. This may have come from Grey Abbey.
Planning permission for the developments has been granted and excavation of the features uncovered by the testing, together with monitoring of all topsoil-stripping/site-preparation works, is required.
