2014:196 - Saggart, Co. Dublin, Dublin

It was proposed to construct 109 dwellings at a site at the edge of Saggart Village, Co. Dublin. As part of the planning process a request for further information, archaeological testing was required.
Housing has already been built on most of the adjoining areas and archaeological testing was undertaken in advance of each phase of that housing development; in March 2002 under Licence no. 02E0179, in 2011 under Licence 11E0061 and an extension to this licence was granted in February 2104. A further extension to the 2011 licence was granted to carry out the 2014 archaeological testing.
The site of the proposed development was centered on the former site of the paper mills known as Swiftbrook Mill. Some of the components of the ‘upper mills’ predated the mid-19th century but most of the complex was of early 20th-century construction. These buildings were demolished in 2001 but the foundations still remained in place. All of the area where once buildings stood has been subject to severe and extensive modern disturbance.
Ten trenches were excavated to achieve the most comprehensive coverage possible. There was no indication of anomalies to indicate anything other than industrial usage and modern disturbance. A feature of one trench was a layer of bright blue powder; this residue may be derived from the latter day use of the paper mills to produce colour cards for household paints. Beneath the layers of infill and rubble many of the trenches contained evidence for pipes associated with the paper mills. Much of the central part of the site could not be tested due to the extensive concrete foundation of the old paper mill buildings. Ground disturbance associated with the demolition of the paper mills in 2001 was extensive. Three test pits were randomly excavated beneath the former foundations of the paper mill complex and all of these revealed consistent modern content.
The only recognizable historic feature identified was the earthen bank or levee on the northern side of the mill stream that forms the southern boundary of the proposed development. The bank was identified at the southern tips of two trenches but the testing did not breach the bank as this would have resulted in water flowing into the site. The ground to the north of this levee had been filled to more than 1m with demolished rubble and the underlying subsoil was natural grey clay.
At the extreme south-western corner of the site, a relatively small area of undisturbed ground occurred; there natural gravel subsoil lay close to the surface close to the riverbank.

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