County: Dublin Site name: Ballough, Fingal
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 20E0115
Author: Martin McGonigle
Site type: Monitoring, no archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 718750m, N 755532m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.536295, -6.208555
A programme of archaeological monitoring of topsoil stripping associated with the proposed Baldrumman Above Ground Installation (AGI) site and associated ancillary works such as pipeline connections, access roads etc. at Baldrumman, Ballystrane and Ballough, Lusk, County Dublin was carried out between June 2020 and October 2021. The development is located within four greenfield areas to the east and west of the M1. All areas to the west of the M1 were reduced to the level of natural subsoil. The main AGI site is located within one large parcel of land to the east of M1 motorway. Two existing HP gas pipelines traverse the field from north to south.
Initially the ground at the AGI site was reduced by c. 0.3-0.4m to allow for the construction of areas of hard standing above a protective geotextile membrane. A 0.2-0.3m thick upper layer of modern fill was noted above the original topsoil within the western half of the field and subsoil was not encountered there. The eastern half of the field, as well as the footprint of an attenuation pond (L:80m W:14m) located immediately north of the AGI, a service trench (L:10m W:0.5m) and a directional drilling platform (L:6m W: 5m) were all stripped to the natural subsoil. The subsoil consisted of a greyish-yellow clay, encountered at a depth of 0.35-1m.
Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered within any of the monitored areas.
C/O John Cronin & Associates, Burnside, Saint Oran's Road, Buncrana, Co. Donegal
