County: Kildare Site name: Osberstown, Naas
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KD019-072 Licence number: 15E0426
Author: Donald Murphy
Site type: Non Archaeological
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 688297m, N 720947m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.231567, -6.677471
An assessment took place of the site of a new community college and associated facilities at Osberstown, in the Millennium Park, Naas, Co. Kildare on 12 October 2015 on behalf of Kildare & Wicklow Education & Training Board. The townland of Osberstown is recorded as containing a castle and burial ground, the exact location of these features is unknown and there is no suggestion that they once existed within the survey area. The nearest monument is an enclosure (KD019-072) located 800m west of the survey area.
The test trenching strategy was designed to identify the nature of geophysical anomalies detected during a geophysical survey carried out by Dr. J. Bonsall of Earthsound in January 2015 (Detection Licence 15R0006). The geophysical survey identified a curvilinear anomaly and a large oval anomaly and a metal-detecting survey recorded 49 hits.
Nine trenches were excavated in the area of the proposed development, all running north-north-west/south-south-east. The eastern quadrant of the site was occupied by a compound with hardcore base, and portacabins, and having previously been disturbed did not require testing. In addition a football pitch occupies the north-west corner of the site and was not tested as this area will not be developed. Five trenches excavated in the areas of the geophysical anomalies concluded that there was nothing of archaeological significance present. A metal detection survey was undertaken in the areas of the 49 hits and all material recovered was non-archaeological and broadly modern in nature. All trenches were excavated to the subsoil and the assessment concluded that the area tested was devoid of archaeology.
Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth
