County: Dublin Site name: National Sports Campus, Blanchardstown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 12E0308
Author: James Hession
Site type: Burnt mound, brick clamp, medieval and post‐medieval linear features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 708692m, N 739785m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.397015, -6.365661
site of the National Sports Campus, Blanchardstown, Co. Dublin.
A licence for monitoring of groundworks (12E0308) on the site was granted to Teresa Bolger of Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd. ?
In accordance with the conditions of the planning permission issued for this development a geophysical survey was undertaken of the development lands by Minerex Geophysic Ltd (Detection Licence No. 12E0111). This survey identified a series of anomalies indicative of sub‐surface features of archaeological potential. A programme of test trenching was then recommended and carried out under an extension to the monitoring licence. The trenches were designed with the primary aim of testing the geophysical anomalies on the site.
The test trenching was carried out on 23 and 24 October 2012. A total of 13 trenches (770 linear metres) were excavated and several areas of archaeological significance were identified, which largely corresponded with the results of the geophysical survey.
The archaeology was mostly concentrated in the south of the proposed development area and within this concentration three main areas of archaeology were distinguishable, comprising a burnt mound, a brick production site and a series of medieval ditches. Several undated and post‐medieval linear features were also identified throughout the tested area.
Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd, Unit 2, Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork
