2016:066 - Monastery Road, Clondalkin, Dublin

Monitoring of specified trench excavation works associated with surface water/drainage replacement works at Monastery Road, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin was undertaken from 27 July – 1 September 2016, commissioned by South Dublin County Council, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24 and under Ministerial Consent Ref: C762; Excavation Reg. Ref: E004754 and Detection Reg. Ref: R143. The area of the trench works was located within the Zone of Archaeological Potential established for Clondalkin (DU01-041/021-036) and positioned immediately north of the extant remains of Tully Castle (DU017-041006) - a National Monument in State Ownership - and an Unclassified Castle site (DU017-0410080) for which there are no extant or surface remains.

In general, the trenches were approx. 0.6m wide and approx. 1.5m deep, and excavated by machine. Where practicable, the spoil was subjected to metal detecting scanning and was ‘raked through’ in order to increase the chances of artefact retrieval. The road surface and associated formation material generally had a combined depth/thickness of up to 0.5m. This lay upon the upper surface of desiccated rock, the uppermost depth of which was removable by machine excavation. However, the lower levels of the rock, down to the required trench depth, required a rock breaker. No subsurface features of archaeological interest or potential were uncovered during the course of the works and no artefacts of interest were recovered. The only feature of note was a stone culvert feature evident on the southern face of the trench adjacent the north-eastern corner of the tower feature of Tully Castle and blocked by a large stone. The culvert was set in a trench cut onto the bedrock but there was no evidence for this cut-feature in the opposite face of the main excavation trench. The feature was not further investigated as it was not directly impacted by the works.