County: Dublin Site name: Oldtown Phase 3 Development, Oldtown, Swords
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 16E0342
Author: Padraig Clancy
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 716462m, N 748896m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.477199, -6.245517
Test trenching was carried out in relation to a phase of residential development of lands to the north of the Glen Ellan Road, in Swords, Co. Dublin (Oldtown Phase 3). The testing was undertaken on behalf of Gannon Properties on foot of An Bord Pleanála Condition 13 of 06F.246453 (Planning Register Reference No.: F15A/0390) and which included a requirement for an archaeological appraisal.
Previous archaeological investigations had taken place within the Oldtown Phase 3 application lands; these consisted of a geophysical survey (05R139), test trenching by Bolger 06E0578 (3 trenches in the Phase 3 lands) and test trenching by Moraghan 13E0283 (9 trenches in the Phase 3 lands). None of these investigations identified any features of potential archaeological interest.
Test trenching under Licence ref 16E0342 consisted of 5 trenches T1–T5 across the site. The Phase 3 development area can be considered as a brown field site, a result of previous phases of topsoil stripping and deposition of spoil across it. Only two small areas of undisturbed greenfield were noted, both of which were tested. The natural subsoil appeared at a level of 0.2–0.8m below ground level.
No features of archaeological significance were uncovered during the appraisal. The testing results confirmed that the Phase 3 lands were previously heavily disturbed.
CDHC, Lynwwod House, Ballinteer Road, Dublin 16.
