2010:239 - Ballyowen, Dublin

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Dublin Site name: Ballyowen

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 10E0417

Author: Teresa Bolger, Headland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd, Block 2, Harcourt Centre, Harcourt Street, Dublin 2.

Site type: No archaeological significance

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 705100m, N 734515m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.350401, -6.421397

Monitoring was undertaken of the excavation of three utility slit-trenches along the proposed route of Metro West between 4 and 15 October 2010 on behalf of the Rail Procurement Agency (RPA).
Approximately 60 utility slit-trenches were proposed along the route of the proposed Metro West scheme at various locations from Belgard Road, Tallaght to Fonthill Road, Clondalkin (Area MW201). The purpose of the trenches was to investigate the size, type, level, gradient and position of all existing utilities and associated fixtures, including any underground culverts, basements, chambers etc. along the route of the proposed scheme. Nine of the proposed trenches were located in proximity to sites recorded in the RMP and/or areas of archaeological potential. On that basis it was determined that a programme of monitoring should be undertaken in conjunction with the excavation of these nine trenches (see also Nos 10E0389 [No. 246 below], 10E0415 [No. 244 below] and 10E0416 [No. 245 below]). However, only seven of the planned nine trenches were actually excavated; the remaining two trenches were omitted from the scheme.
Slit-trenches 501 and 507 were located in the townland of Ballyowen, within the green space associated with the Droim na Coille housing estate; however, this area was formerly part of the grounds of Ballyowen House. Ballyowen House is no longer extant, though it does appear on the first-edition OS 6-inch map and its gardens are included in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage Garden Survey of Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes (NIAH ref: DU–50-O–052344). No archaeological features or deposits were identified during excavation of either trench.