County: Kildare Site name: Fairgreen, Castledermot
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KD040-002---- Licence number: 20E0335
Author: James Hession
Site type: Possible medieval enclosure ditch
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 678402m, N 685226m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.912149, -6.834345
A programme of archaeological monitoring was undertaken in association with the development of a new playground at Keenan’s Lane, Fairgreen, Castledermot, Co. Kildare.
All ground reduction works were subject to a programme of archaeological monitoring, over three months from 10 September to 3 December 2020. Two linear features were identified during this process that correlated with the results of the preceding assessment and geophysical survey. The first linear feature was identified along the pathway associated with the kickabout area and corresponded to anomaly R9 of the geophysical survey. The second feature was also identified on the pathway associated with the kickabout area. It corresponded to the eastern extent of the double ditched feature C23/C21 identified during the assessment and anomaly R3 from the results of geological survey. These features were preserved in situ. No archaeological features or deposits were impacted by the proposed development works during this time.
Metal detection of topsoil stripped during the monitoring programme was carried out under Registration Number 20R0139. The stripped topsoil was spread out and scanned by a metal detector on an all-metal setting. A large amount of aluminum drinking cans, associated ring pulls, bottle screw caps, iron nails, iron bolts, iron files, trailer locking mechanisms, fragments of 20th-century horseshoes, 20th-century half pennies, five cent coins and other discarded metallic refuse were identified. No artefacts of archaeological significance were identified during this exercise and none of the above items were retained.
Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd. Unit 2, Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork.
