County: Antrim Site name: The Murphys Lands, Magheralave
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/10/114
Author: David Kilner, Archaeological Development Services Ltd, Unit 6, 21 Old Channel Road, Belfast, BT3 9DE.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 726187m, N 866532m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.531438, -6.050316
This evaluation relates to a proposed development in an area known as ‘The Murphys Lands’ situated adjacent to a recently constructed access road in Magheralave, Lisburn, Co. Antrim. The proposed development will consist of 42 mixed-type residential housing with related infrastructure and services
The proposed development is located within an archaeologically sensitive area with 28 recorded archaeological sites located within approximately 1.5km of the site, one of which was a rath (ANT064–020) sited approximately 60m to the north which has since been levelled.
The proposed development is located adjacent to a new access road running north-east to the North Lisburn feeder road. The access and feeder roads were constructed under archaeological supervision by Ruairí Ó Baoill of Archaeological Development Services Ltd between October 2004 and May 2005 (Excavations 2004, 57 and see also Excavations 2005, 39). This produced a substantial quantity of archaeology with some sites within the immediate vicinity of the proposed development e.g. fulachta fiadh, Early Christian pottery and evidence of Bronze Age industrial activity.
Pre-development testing took place upon the site between 21 and 30 June 2010. One house plot was initially topsoil-stripped under supervision and the remainder of the site was then tested by means of sixteen trenches. Testing within the site revealed nothing of archaeological significance.
