County: Dublin Site name: ASTAGOB (CASTLEKNOCK BY, CASTLEKNOCK ED)/CAPPAGH/CAPPOGE/CLONBURRIS GREAT/COOLMINE (CASTLEKNOCK BY)/CORDUFF (CASTLEKNOCK BY.)/DARDISTOWN/IRISHTOWN (CASTLEKNOCK BY.)/MERRYFALLS/RONANSTOWN/SILLOGE/SNUGBOROUGH (CASTLEKNOCK BY.)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 10E0410
Author: Kara Ward
Site type: Monitoring
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 706763m, N 735822m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.361807, -6.395994
Monitoring of preliminary ground investigations was undertaken for the route of Metro West, a twin-track light rail system which will serve a c. 25km corridor from the junction of Belgard Road/Old Blessington Road in Tallaght to Dardistown. It will link Tallaght, Clondalkin, Liffey Valley and Blanchardstown and will provide a fast commuter service to the city centre, Swords and the airport via Metro North.
Geotechnical investigations were required in order to provide factual data for use in the design and construction of Metro West. It was proposed to undertake cable percussion and rotary cored boreholes, together with trial pits, to determine the nature and thickness of the underlying soils, and also to ascertain the level and nature of the underlying rock as well as infiltration rates.
Monitoring of boreholes and trial pits was carried out in those areas deemed to be within or adjacent to the zones of archaeological potential for a number of sites, including DU017-005 (ringfort, unclassified), DU014-027 (castle–tower-house), DU014-021 (field system, possible) and DU013-019 (church and graveyard, National Monument). In addition, a number of boreholes/trial pits were within or adjacent to a number of areas of archaeological potential as identified by the Metro West Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The locations of these works were geographically dispersed along the proposed route and within the townlands of Astagob (Castleknock By, Castleknock ED), Cappagh, Cappoge, Clonburris Great, Coolmine (Castleknock By), Corduff (Castleknock By), Dardistown, Irishtown (Castleknock By), Merryfalls, Ronanstown, Silloge and Snugborough (Castleknock By).
The excavations of a total of twelve trial pits and thirteen boreholes were subject to monitoring along the route of Metro West. A further ten trial pits, five boreholes and five infiltration test pits were monitored at the location of the Metro North depot in Dardistown. Nothing of apparent archaeological significance was located in any of the pits or boreholes.
Archaeological Development Services Ltd, 96 University Street, Belfast BT7 1HE
