County: Dublin Site name: COLLINSTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 11E0431
Author: Gerry Mullins
Site type: Dumb-bell kiln
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 706881m, N 733493m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.340861, -6.395007
At the request of Fingal County Council, monitoring was undertaken in June 2011 at Collinstown, Lusk, Co. Dublin, owing to a planning application involving proposed land improvements and the installation of a percolation area. The development area is near DU008-002. This monument is not perceptible above ground.
During the course of the soil-stripping the probable edge of a curvilinear ditch was barely exposed, along with a dumb-bell-type kiln. The kiln was approximately 30m east of the proposed ditch. Soil-stripping was therefore discontinued and both supposed archaeological features were re-covered with topsoil pending the outcome of the planning application.
Following discussions between the developer and the planning authorities it was decided that all further developments within the area should be monitored. Two archaeologists were present on site on 15 November 2011. The area (611m2) beneath the footprint of a proposed dwelling some 10m east of the kiln and a further 700m2 extending approximately 140m northwards from the proposed dwelling were stripped of topsoil by a 360-degree tracked machine using a 0.9m toothless bucket. Topsoil depth averaged 0.4m and was notably clean. The absence of artefacts was particularly noted. Yellow boulder clay was revealed beneath. Apart from a number of modern land drains, this too was devoid of archaeological features.
A request by the developer to excavate the kiln was accommodated by the granting of an extension to the excavation licence. This work was undertaken during the week ending 20 January 2012. The figure-of-eight or dumb-bell kiln was aligned north–south and measured a maximum of 2.4m x 1.25m. It was 0.85m in maximum depth. Several layers of redeposited natural soil and charcoal-rich layers were revealed. The base was stone-lined. It occurs at approximately 34.5m OD. Environmental samples were taken, including some charcoal which may be suitable for radiocarbon dating. These samples have yet to be processed. It is proposed that the feature might be medieval in date and is potentially associated with the nearby enclosure.
Clone East, Monamolin, Gorey, Co. Wexford
