2016:415 - Bracknagh Road, Rathangan, Kildare

A planning application for the development of the subject lands resulted in a Request for Further Information (FI) from the Planning Authority, Kildare County Council (Plan Ref: 16/377). The FI Request included a number of items, of which one, No. 10, dealt with Archaeological Heritage and required that the applicant should commission an Archaeological Impact Assessment to include Geophysical Survey and a programme of Archaeological Testing. The development lands are located outside the Zone of Archaeological Potential established for Rathangan, however, the landholding does include the postulated location of the former Rathangan Castle (KD017-11002). This site is not included in the RMP but is included for protection in the Kildare County Development Plan.

The exact location of the castle is unknown. Rocque’s map of 1760 , the O.S. 1837 map and the SMR (archaeology.ie) indicate its possible position on the sloping ground in the southern half of the lands, while the Urban Archaeological Survey indicate its location to the immediate east of a Sewerage Farm in the lower-lying flood plain area of the site. A limited programme of testing was undertaken in this area of the site in 2006 (Licence No: 16E0265; Excavations: 2006:279) and a layer of cobbling, together with associated medieval pottery, was uncovered.

A Geophysical Survey of the area was undertaken by Earthsound Archaeological Geophysics under Licence No.: 16R0126. This comprised Magnetic Gradiometer and Electrical Resistance techniques, as requested by the Planning Authority. This revealed a number of potential archaeological features. Both techniques were impacted  upon by the historic use of the site. The presence of disturbed ground, debris and former landscape and golf course features caused a palimpsest of geophysical signatures, from which potential archaeological features as against more modern features, were difficult to distinguish. A series of linear boundary features were identified along with trackways associated with Rathangan Lodge estate. Potential archaeological activity was detected on the southern extent of the site, where a zone of magnetic enhancement and possible structural remains was identified. These appeared as highly magnetic trends within the magnetometer data, while the resistance survey indicated the presence of only limited possible structural remains within the soil. It was postulated that the possible structure suffered considerable fire damage, causing the high magnetic signature which will have remained within the soil even after the structural remains were removed to form Rathangan Lodge. Evidence of possible industrial activity or burnt pits were found in the magnetometer data, while isolated zones of magnetic enhancement were likely to be associated with the removal of trees and vegetation from the site, by cutting, burning or dynamite (the latter apparently undertaken as a training exercise by the Irish Army in the 1950s).

A total of 20 test trenches were subsequently excavated within the confines of the site. The trenches were positioned to gain information with respect to the detected geophysical anomalies, taking the sloping topographical nature of the site into consideration. The testing indicated that the detected geophysical anomalies were associated with geological variations in the subsoil or associated with modern disturbances and features. Such testing did not uncover any features of archaeological interest or potential, although a total of 25 sherds of medieval and post-medieval pottery were recovered. These were subsequently processed and submitted to Ms. Clare McCutcheon, Ceramic Researcher for examination and reporting. Most of the pottery sherds were determined to date from the late 12th – mid-14th centuries, with four sherds dating to the late 17th – 19th centuries. These are similar in date to the pottery sherds recovered in 2006. The medieval pottery range of dates – late 12th – mid 14th century – would tie in with the dates of when the castle was possibly built and, indeed, rebuilt, although, interestingly, no later medieval pottery, associated with its continued use into the 16th century, was recovered.

7 Cnoc na Greine Square, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare