2010:246 - Cookstown and Tallaght, Dublin

Monitoring was undertaken of the excavation of two 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 10E0415 [No. 244 above], 10E0416 [No. 245 above] and 10E0417 [No. 239 above]). However, only seven of the planned nine trenches were actually excavated; the remaining two trenches were omitted from the scheme.
Slit-trench 109 was located in the townland of Tallaght and was immediately north-west of the constraint associated with the ecclesiastical site of Tallaght (DU021–037). Slit-trench 127 was located in the townland of Cookstown and was immediately adjacent to the townland boundary between Belgard and Cookstown, the site of a gate lodge associated with Belgard Castle and the Tynan Memorial – a protected structure (SDCC RPS207). Both trenches were excavated in the absence of an archaeologist; therefore it is not possible to comment on the subsurface stratigraphy at these locations.