County: Dublin Site name: Parnell’s GAA Grounds, Coolock
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 10E0350
Author: Gill McLoughlin, Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Settlement, field system
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 719520m, N 739118m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.388687, -6.203180
Testing was undertaken at Parnell’s GAA Grounds, Coolock, Co. Dublin, in advance of a mixed-use phased development. Testing was requested by An Bord Pleanála as a condition of planning and followed on from a geophysical survey carried out by Target Archaeological Geophysics on behalf of IAC Ltd (10R117). The geophysical investigation recorded no obvious trace of archaeological features within the perimeter of the proposed development; however, the data indicated considerable interference from modern ferrous activity.
One area of archaeological importance was identified in the north-east of the site, across an area measuring c. 90m east–west x 75m. The features identified comprised a series of ditches, many of which contained medieval pottery, seashells and animal bone and were likely to represent a medieval field system. A number of spreads and pits with similar fills were also identified within the excavated trenches and these features may be an indication of settlement associated with the field system.
There were no previously known archaeological sites dating to the medieval period located in proximity to the proposed development area; however, it was possible that the 17th-century church (DU015–084) located to the immediate east of the site may have replaced an even earlier church dating to the medieval period.
