2019:029 - Holybanks, Newtown, Broadmeadow, Dublin

Pre-planning testing was carried out at Holybanks, Newtown, and Broadmeadow north of Swords, Co. Dublin. It follows a previous desktop assessment by IAC Ltd and geophysical survey carried out by JM Leigh (licence 18R0256).

The site currently comprises large overgrown open fields on the southern banks of the Broadmeadow River, to the east of Jugback Terrace, north of Glen Ellen Road and west of the NMI Collection Resource Centre. The course of the river has been straightened and rerouted to the north of site during the 20th century. The footprint of the former winding watercourse forms the northern boundary of the townland and of the current development area. The Irish name for Holybanks is An Bruach Naofa meaning the ‘Sacred Bank’. It should be noted however that the name Holybanks may also have derived from ‘Hollybanks’ – denoting a predominant vegetation in the area.

A single Recorded Monument is known within the area of proposed development, ringditch DU011-080. This was identified as a circular crop mark on an aerial photograph taken in 1992 on the former bank of the river with no above-ground expression. Within the wider area three further Recorded Monuments are located within 500m of the site. These include enclosure DU011-079 180m to the west and ringfort DU011-079 and field system DU011-107 c. 230m to the north.

Newtown House, a Protected Structure (RPS 339, NIAH 11335009), is located outside and to the east of the proposed development area.

Testing was carried out over the course of five days from 18 February 2019 using a mechanical excavator fitted with a flat grading bucket. The trenches targeted the zone of notification for DU011-080 (ringditch), geophysical anomalies and open green space to fully investigate the archaeological potential of the site. It was not possible to excavate five of the proposed trenches due to access restrictions and overgrowth along the riverbank.

No archaeology was indicated by the geophysical survey or the programme of testing within the zone of notification for ringditch DU011-080. It is possible that the monument shown on the aerial photographs has been removed through agricultural activity or that this feature was mis-located at the time of its addition to the Record of Monuments and Places. Another possibility is that the anomaly identified in the 1992 aerial photograph was associated with natural banding of river gravels that were recorded in this part of the site during the testing.

Testing revealed three areas of archaeological significance, which have been designated as Archaeological Areas 1–3 (AA 1–3), which clustered in the north-east quadrant of the development area, and included a previously unrecorded ringditch (AA 1) identified during the geophysical survey (18R0256). A slot trench was hand-excavated across this 3.7m wide and 1.4m deep ditch cut to reveal four deposits within. AA 2 was identified within the south-east end of T18, and comprised two shallow sub-circular pits. AA 3 comprised a linear feature containing a deposit of burnt stone to the north of AA 2 within the east-south-east end of T20.

IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow