County: Dublin Site name: Regles, Lusk
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 17E614
Author: Steven McGlade
Site type: Ring-ditch, prehistoric structure, fulacht fiadh
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 720490m, N 754650m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.527977, -6.182659
A programme of archaeological testing was carried out on a proposed development site at Regles, Lusk, Co. Dublin in December 2017. Geophysical surveying had been carried out in the two larger fields in the north of the proposed development in November 2017 (Licence No. 17R0208) with one major circular anomaly identified. This was assessed during the testing programme and found to be a double ring-ditch with a probable cremation pit cut into the outer ditch. The circular outer ditch had an internal diameter of 10.6m and measured 0.8-1.2m in width. The internal ditch was oval in plan measuring 4.6 x 4.1m internally and measured 0.7m in width and 0.3m in depth. The remainder of the testing programme focussed on the south-western portion of the development that had not been suitable for the geophysical survey.
A number of additional features were identified in this portion of the site. Towards the southern end of the site the slot-trench of a possible prehistoric structure was identified measuring 4.2 x 2.5m internally. The slot trench measured 0.37m in width and 0.35m in depth. The structure is similar in size and shape to the Early Bronze Age structure (DU008-101) excavated c. 100m to the south of the proposed development in 2003.
In the south-east of the proposed development site a burnt spread measuring 14 x 10m was identified. A number of concentrations of charcoal within the spread may indicate the presence of troughs beneath the spread. This is likely to be the remains of a fulacht fiadh. A number of additional pits containing fire-cracked stone and charcoal were also identified c. 30m to the south-west of the fulacht fiadh. One of these, likely to be a fulacht trough, was tested and measured 2m x 1.8m in plan and 0.3m in depth. This may indicate additional fulachtaí fiadh may be present within this portion of the site.
A number of isolated pits and linear features were also identified during the testing programme in the southern portion of the site. The significance of these features was unclear however they did suggest that further archaeology could be uncovered within the site during monitoring.
Further mitigation in the form of excavation and monitoring has been recommended.
Archaeology Plan, 32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
