County: Kildare Site name: GREY ABBEY ROAD, KILDARE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KD022–029 Licence number: 09E100 ext.
Author: Martin E. Byrne, Byrne Mullins & Associates, 7 Cnoc Na Greine Square, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare.
Site type: No archaeological significance
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 672731m, N 711932m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.152924, -6.912621
Testing, undertaken on proposed development lands located on the eastern side of Grey Abbey Road, Kildare (Tully West townland), in 2009 uncovered two drains/ditches of 18th/19th-century date and a possible pit of 17th-century date in the north-west corner of the overall landholding (Excavations 2009, No. 475). 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.
Monitoring of all topsoil-stripping/general ground-reduction works associated with the development of an Aldi foodstore, with associated car park and access road in the southern extent of the site, was undertaken in July 2010.
All topsoil-stripping was undertaken by mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless ditching bucket. The topsoil was removed in spits, with the surface of each spit subsequently subjected to metal detecting and ‘raking over’ to increase the possibility of artifact recovery. No features of archaeological interest were uncovered during the course of the work. A total of 31 sherds of pottery, of medieval and post-medieval date, were recovered, together with three clay-pipe stems and a fragment of clay-pipe bowl. In addition, a number of metal items were recovered, none of which are considered to be of archaeological interest. The pottery sherds have been processed and submitted for specialist identification.
