County: Dublin Site name: Cardiffsbridge Park, Pelletstown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU014-074 Licence number: 06E0934 ext.
Author: Fintan Walsh
Site type: Monitoring
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 711525m, N 737844m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.378984, -6.323770
A programme of monitoring was required at the site of a parkland development adjacent to the River Tolka, Finglas, Co. Dublin. Monitoring of site work was recommended within an archaeological assessment, which was carried out by IAC Ltd in February 2011 (Excavations 2011, No. 226) The assessment identified nine archaeological and historical features ranging in date from the medieval period up the 19th century.
Intermittent monitoring was carried out in tandem with the construction of c. 3300 linear meters of paths and cycle ways, the re-profiling of a millrace, and the stripping of a large area for three new ponds.
The paths and cycle ways had minimal or no impact on the known archaeology identified during testing at the western end of the proposed park in 2011 and at the eastern end by The Archaeological Company Ltd in 2006 (06E0934). The features identified during this testing included a 19th-century iron works and a number of brick kilns. The ground works for the paths involved only the removal of the upper levels of topsoil and sod (c. 0.2m deep) while much of the archaeological deposits were at a lower level, thus preserving them in situ.
The area of Cardiffsbridge Castle (DU014-074) is preserved as a green space within the development and was excluded from any ground works.
Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, 120b Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow
