2012:247 - Streamstown to St Doolagh’s, R107 Malahide Road, Dublin

Twelve investigative slit trenches were mechanically excavated at intervals along the R107 Malahide Road between St Doolagh’s Nursing Home and Streamstown, on the route of a proposed new water main. The test trenches averaged 6m by 0.7m and were 1.2m deep. Their locations were determined by the contractor and excavation was monitored. Geophysical investigations previously carried out around St Doolagh’s church identified several linear features extending beyond the northern, western and southern limits of the existing church grounds. These features were not identified during monitoring, but they may survive under the 0.5m-thick modern road surface in the area outside the test trenches.

Four of the trenches uncovered features of possible archaeological significance. The trench located directly east of St Doolagh’s Church revealed a possible structural feature. This comprised two roughly hewn limestone blocks and a sandstone piece that were laid end to end. Given the size of the trench it was difficult to ascertain whether this was definitely part of an in situ structure, however the presence of two worked stones is noteworthy.

A post-medieval clay deposit was uncovered 0.62m below present ground in a trench located c. 4m south of the entrance to the gatehouse of Bohomer Estate. The trench ran parallel to a field boundary on the west side of the Malahide Road and the deposit, which was over 0.6m deep, may represent back-fill of a field boundary ditch, possibly associated with road-widening works. Any such road works probably predate 1837, since the existing line of the road is unaltered from that depicted on the 1^st edition OS map.

Two large north-south-oriented, subsoil-cut linear features were partially exposed in Trenches 9 and 11. These trenches were located midway between the entrance to Abbeville estate and the Malahide Road/Feltrim Road junction and c. 28m south of the entrance to Streamstown House, on the eastern side of the Malahide Road. Both trenches ran east-west and subsoil lay at 0.4m and 0.68m respectively. The lack of finds and the fact that the features were only partially uncovered within the trenches, meant that it was not possible to ascertain their nature or date. They may represent backfilled trenches of demolished roadside walls or the position of former tree or hedge lines.

Archaeological Development Services, Unit 4, The Printhouse, 22-23 South Cumberland Street, Dublin 2