County: Kildare Site name: Kilbelin, Newbridge
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 17E0606
Author: Liam Coen c/o Archer Heritage Planning
Site type: Testing, no archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 681154m, N 714184m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.171939, -6.786151
The site, on the west bank of the River Liffey, has an area of c. 20.5ha (50.8 acres), 650m of which faces on to the R416 Kilcullen Road. It is irregular in shape, flat and is currently in use as grazing land. A total of 26 trenches (3514 linear metres) were excavated across the site. The trenches were targeted to assess the general potential of the location of the proposed development with two trenches, 6 & 26, located to investigate potential archaeological features identified through a geophysical survey (Detection licence no. 17R0199).
Excavation proceeded in level spits no greater than 0.2m. A series of sand, silt and gravel horizons deposited by river action underlay the topsoil. Glacially deposited boulder clay was not encountered and the trenches were only excavated to a depth of 1.2m for safety purposes. There were extensive post-medieval and modern finds throughout the upper soil levels including pottery sherds, clay pipe fragments and ferrous artifacts. Occasional animal bone fragments were present in the lower deposits. No archaeological features were identified in any of the trenches.
8 Beat Centre, Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
