County: Kildare Site name: Jigginstown and Naas West
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 16E0552
Author: David Bayley, IAC Ltd
Site type: D-shaped enclosures
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 688310m, N 718643m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.210864, -6.677914
A programme of testing was carried out at a proposed residential development located at Jigginstown and Naas West, Naas, Co. Kildare. The site currently consists of five fields of pasture located to the immediate east of the Naas Southern Ring Road and west of the proposed Devoy Link Road. Existing residential developments are located to the north (Arconagh) and east (Osprey Apartments).
Monitoring was initially requested as a condition planning (Condition No. 24) by An Bord Pleanála (Planning Register Number 09/500050; ABP Ref.: PL 73.236928). However, due to the size of the site, the developer commissioned a geophysical survey of the site (Licence 17R0148). This revealed the presence of two potential archaeological sites (two enclosures). Following a meeting with the NMS on 8 August 2017, IAC Ltd carried out a programme of testing within the site in order to evaluate the nature, extent and significance of the archaeological remains identified in the geophysical survey.
Testing confirmed the presence of a ‘D’-shaped enclosure in Field 5 in the eastern portion of the development area (Archaeological Area 1). This enclosure measures c. 35m x 40m. Pits containing animal bone were exposed in the trenches targeting the interior of the enclosure while similar pits were also identified in trenches to the exterior of the enclosure. Medieval pottery was recovered from the fills of the enclosure ditch in Trenches 19 and 30 suggesting that the enclosure is medieval in date.
Testing also confirmed the presence of a curvilinear ditch in Field 1 (Archaeological Area 2). This ditch measures c. 40m in length. The date of this ditch was not established by the testing.
Ground disturbances associated with the permitted proposed residential development will have a direct and negative impact on the archaeology identified in Archaeological Areas 1 and 2. It is not possible to avoid the archaeological remains within the layout of the proposed development and preservation in situ of the archaeological remains is not possible. It is therefore recommended that Archaeological Areas 1 and 2 are excavated in advance of development.
IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
