2018:714 - Glebe Park, Glebe South, Balrothery, Dublin

Archaeological assessment including Geophysical Survey and Test Trenching took place at the request of Fingal County Council in advance of the construction of sports facilities and associated car parking and landscaping at Glebe Park, Balrothery, Co. Dublin.

As part of the grant of permission (Part XI/005/017) Fingal County Council requested that an archaeological impact assessment involving geophysical survey and test trenching be carried out prior to the proposed development. The site lies in close proximity to DU005-140 (House – Bronze Age) and also to a protected structure listed within the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and the Fingal County Council List of Protected Structures (Tara House - Reg. No. 11309004, RPS no. 088).

In advance of testing, a geophysical survey was undertaken (Licence No. 18R0198) by Donald Murphy of ACSU. The results suggested a good deal of disturbance within the proposed development area and no anomalies were identified that suggested the presence of potential subsurface features of an archaeological nature.

Testing was carried out on 30 October 2018. A total of 7 test trenches were excavated across the footprint of the proposed development, principally within the new play and exercise facilities and associated car parking and proposed community garden areas. The sports pitches are already in situ and further ground disturbance is not proposed here. The test trenching clearly identified that the site of the proposed development has been subject to high levels of ground disturbance and appears to have been subject to previous topsoil stripping and associated landscaping/ground leveling.

The geophysical survey and test trenching has indicated that the area has been subject to high levels of disturbance previously and it is clear from the profile of the sports pitches that significant landscaping/levelling has already taken place here.

Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills Rd, Drogheda, Co. Louth