2018:012 - Clay Farm (Phase II), Kilgobbin, County Dublin, Dublin

Two test trenches were opened across a possible section of the medieval Pale boundary to evaluate the character and significance of the earthwork, and establish the evidence for associated ditches below ground level. The assessment did not reveal the presence of any ditches or associated defensive features in proximity to the bank. A sondage was excavated through the bank material, however no archaeological features were identified, and no typologically diagnostic artefacts were recovered that might indicate the age of the associated deposits. The sondage demonstrated that the bank was representative of a natural scarp, which was formed by ice sheets during the Pleistocene. The scarp forms the southern slope of a small glacial valley that runs along the course of the Ballyogan Stream, from Kilgobbin towards Carrickmines Great to the south-east. Although the scrap represents a natural topographic feature, it may also have substituted for more formal defences along this section of the Pale boundary. The impermeability of the colluvial and underlying boulder clay to the south-west of the scarp, ensured there was a continual accumulation of water in this area. This would have acted as a natural barrier, and therefore negated the need for any ditch in this area. The scarp provided a naturally-occurring bank and slope, which would have impeded the efforts of any cattle-raiders or attackers. The effectiveness of its defensive capabilities could have been enhanced by a timber stockade, while the Ballyogan Stream and its associated wetlands, to the north-east of the boundary, would have provided an additional level of protection.

Lynwood House, Balinteer Road, Dublin 16, D16 H9V9