County: Dublin Site name: Kinsaley townland, Malahide, County Dublin
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU012-071---- Licence number: 14E0165
Author: Dermot Nelis
Site type: Enclosure and associated features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 722050m, N 744485m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.436314, -6.163093
Fieldwork included excavating test trenches within enclosure DU012-071, as well as within the surrounding environment in advance of a proposed housing development. A pre-test trenching geophysical survey (Licence 14R0031) was carried out by Joanna Leigh to locate and identify any potential archaeological responses within the development area. A pre-test trenching surface artefact collection survey was also carried out within all areas of land take.
The geophysical survey revealed the remains of a possibly plough-damaged enclosure measuring, within the area of land take, approximately 70m north-south x 37m (maximum). An additional geophysical survey revealed the enclosure to have overall dimensions of approximately 75m east-west x 70m.
The surface artefact collection survey was carried out within all areas of land take, and was cognisant of the results of the geophysical survey. No features or artefacts of archaeological significance were revealed.
The excavation of 17 test trenches throughout the development area revealed 13 features of archaeological significance. The enclosure ditch was revealed to vary from 3.1m to 3.65m in width and from 1.1m to 1.3m in depth. No artefacts or environmental evidence were revealed by the hand-testing of the ditch. Topsoil was on average 0.35m deep and sealed the ditch which was directly cut in to natural geology.
In addition to the ditch, nine archaeological features in the form of spreads, linear features, a pit and a post-hole were revealed within the enclosure. No artefacts or environmental evidence were revealed by the hand-testing of these features. On average topsoil was 0.3–0.35m deep in these areas.
A spread of burnt stone, a possible pit and a clay spread were located outside the enclosure ditch. No artefacts or environmental evidence were revealed by the hand-testing of these features. Topsoil varied from 0.35–0.55m deep in these areas.
No artefacts or environmental evidence were revealed during the test trenching exercise.
It was agreed with National Monuments Service that the enclosure would be fully preserved in situ and that a 20m buffer zone would be established around the perimeter of the enclosure.
Archaeological features were also revealed outside the buffer zone established around enclosure DU012-071. It was recommended that these be fully excavated and recorded during the monitoring stage.
36 Fingal Street, Dublin 8
