County: Kildare Site name: Tully West
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KD022-029 Licence number: 18E0068
Author: Tim Coughlan, IAC Ltd
Site type: Cereal drying kiln
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 672764m, N 711844m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.152126, -6.912149
A programme of test trenching was carried out within the site of a proposed temporary car park in the townland of Tully West, Co. Kildare. The assessment was undertaken by Tim Coughlan of IAC Ltd under licence 18E0068 and in response to a request for further information as issued by Kildare County Council (Planning Ref.: 17/1212).
The site is situated c. 470m south of Kildare Town Centre. A small section of the northeast corner of the proposed development area is located within the zone of archaeological potential that surrounds Kildare Town (KD022-029). The site itself is 85m southeast of the ruins of Grey Abbey (KD022-029006) and is 60m southeast of a graveyard (KD022-0290067).
A total of three trenches were mechanically excavated across the site of the proposed development, measuring 680 linear metres. It was originally proposed to excavate four test trenches, but due to the presence of a foul main line at the south of the site, this was reduced to three.
One site of archaeological significance, a cereal drying kiln, was identified in Trench 2. It is possible that ground works associated with the proposed development will have a direct and negative impact on the remains of this site. Preservation in situ is the preferred method employed to protect and conserve the archaeological resource. However, if this is not possible, in relation to the remains of the kiln, it is recommended that the site be preserved by record. This should be carried out by a licence eligible archaeologist, in consultation with the National Monuments Service of the DoCHG and the National Museum. Full provision should be made available to undertake both the fieldwork and post excavation analysis.
It is also possible that ground works will have an adverse impact on previously unrecorded archaeological feature or deposits that have the potential to survive beneath the current ground level and outside of the footprint of the test trenches. Therefore it is recommended that all topsoil stripping within the proposed development area be monitored by a suitably qualified archaeologist.
IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
