County: Dublin Site name: Ballycoolen Business Park, Ballycoolen
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 20E0656
Author: Steve Hickey
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 708810m, N 741033m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.408202, -6.363457
A comprehensive testing and monitoring program was carried out here between December 2020 and July 2021. The works were carried out in two phases (Phase 1 and 2), under the direction of the author, who was assisted by a site supervisor. The works established the stratigraphy of a site which had been extensively disturbed over the previous 25 years.
The development site measured c.87,700m2 (21.6 acres) and was comprised of greenfield (Fields 1, 2, and the northern part of Field 3) and brownfield sites (majority of Field 3). Archaeological test excavations were carried out in the greenfield site, whilst monitoring of the untested brownfield portion of the site was carried out at the demolition and clearance stage of predevelopment.
This disturbance appears in the form of development of the brownfield site (Field 3), ground reduction prior to introducing waste soils (west of Field 1 and centre of Field 2) and the build-up of modern material within the site (concentrated on the west side of Field 2). Archaeological works were carried out with the aim of locating in-situ sites and features unaffected by or beneath this disturbance.
A total of c.7% of the total area of the greenfield site was subjected to archaeological testing and monitoring. A geophysical survey was required as a planning condition, however the ground conditions were deemed unsuitable by the surveyor for such an exercise. As such all test trenches were randomly located. No features, deposits or layers of archaeological significance were identified during the archaeological testing or monitoring works.
Monitoring of demolition and clearance works in Field 3 (c.30% of the site) revealed that the formation level of the existing buildings and carpark development was cut into natural subsoil, profoundly impacting the likelihood of any potential archaeological features remaining in situ.
Due to the proven extent of disturbance across the site and the negative results of all archaeological investigations, it was considered that the archaeological potential for the site was negligible.
No further archaeological works for the site were recommended.
c/o AMS, Fahy's Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare
