2011:353 - STACUMNY HOUSE, CELBRIDGE, Kildare

Stacumny House is a three-storey, four-bay, 19th-century house for which a range of buildings bounding the courtyard to the south have been adapted for alternative use, e.g. staff accommodation. The proposed development was to construct a two-storey link between Stacumny House itself and the adjacent building, the Loft. The Loft is a two-storey, four-bay building with a central arch which opened into a small inner courtyard, providing access to the back hall and kitchen of the main house. The footprint of the extension measured approximately 2.5m x 1m.

The development lies within the zone of archaeological potential associated with KD011-021, listed in the RMP as a church site. In 1997, in advance of the development of a swimming pool complex on site, archaeological investigations by Una Cosgrave (ADS) (Excavations 1997, no. 265, 97E119) revealed a large number of medieval skeletal remains, together with fragments of medieval pottery, bronze pins, silver and copper coins, a bone comb and coffin nails. Grave-cuts and stone-lined graves together with a number of post-medieval pits and drain features were also recorded. While the main concentration of human remains was uncovered to the south of what became the plant room attached to the swimming pool, there were indications that the distribution of human remains spread both east and north. It was therefore possible that the footprint of the present proposal, located to the north-east of the swimming pool, could uncover some significant archaeological remains.

Monitoring of the groundworks relating to the construction of the link between the buildings was undertaken in mid-August. Following the discovery of two thick layers of concrete across the footprint of the extension it was decided to build on top of this, with no further groundworks required. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered.

Archaeological Development Services Ltd, The Print House, Cumberland Street South, Dublin 2