2019:005 - Naas West, Kildare

A programme of archaeological testing was carried out at Naas West, Naas, Co. Kildare and the results of this investigation will inform an impact assessment and mitigation strategy to be included within an upcoming planning application.

Testing was carried out over the course of two days from 14 January 2019 using a mechanical excavator fitted with a flat grading bucket. The trenches targeted open green space to fully investigate the archaeological potential of the site. The location of trenches was constrained by the presence of overhead wires and very deep deposits of dumped material identified across the site. No archaeology was found during the investigation.

The testing revealed that the site had been subject of significant dumping in the modern era with up to 2.5m of material imported across the site. Across most of the site there was no evidence of the original sod horizon, suggesting the site had been stripped of topsoil in advance of the dumping activity. The south of the site had a more shallow depth of dump material however, in the area of Trenches 10–13 further recent deposition of up to 1m of soil/clay across the field surface was evident.

Notwithstanding the above there is potential for previously unrecorded archaeological features to survive beneath the original topsoil horizon and dump material. If present, ground works associated with the proposed development would have an adverse impact on any such archaeological remains.

Given the significant depth of imported material recorded across the site it is not anticipated that further assessment by means of geophysical survey or additional test excavation will provide any additional insight into the preservation levels. It is therefore recommended that all ground disturbances associated with the proposed development be monitored.

Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park