County: Dublin Site name: DART + South West Project; Hazelhatch and Celbridge stations Co. Kildare, to Heuston and Glasnevin stations
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 21E0495
Author: Thaddeus Breen & Marion Sutton; Shanarc Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Industrial/railway
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 712844m, N 734060m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.344717, -6.305302
Exploratory ground investigations (GI) for the DART + South West project were monitored from 30 July 2021 to 12 Feb 2022. 198 locations were monitored along the existing rail line between Heuston Station and Glasnevin in Dublin and between Heuston Station and Hazelhatch and Celbridge in Co. Kildare.
The existing railway corridor traverses 29 townlands, as well as the former St James’ Ward (now part of Dublin South City) and the Phoenix Park (part of Dublin North City). The 9 townlands traversed in Kildare are (from south-west to north-east) Dangan, Commons Lower, Ringwood, Straleek, Loughlins, Elmhall, Stacumny, Stacumny Cottage and Ballymadeer. The 20 townlands traversed in Dublin are (from south-west to north-east) Aderrig, Gollierstown, Finnstown, Adamstown, Esker South, Grange, Kishoge, Clonburris Little, Cappagh, Neillstown, Ballymanaggin, Gallanstown, Ballyfermot Upper, Ballyfermot Lower, Inchicore South and Inchicore North on the main line, and Grangegorman South, Grangegorman Middle, Grangegorman North and Slutsend or Westfarm on the branch line.
The GI works consisted of inspection pits and test pits, with most sited online i.e. on or immediately beside existing railway lines, which were excavated at night. A smaller number of offline GI locations were also monitored. GI pits were dug with a vacuum excavation machine and deepened by hand. In some cases, excavation was followed by drilling. The stratigraphy was recorded and the sampled material checked for artefacts.
Other than a small amount of industrial railway metal and branded railway crockery, there were no finds of archaeological interest. Except for the western areas at Adamstown and Hazelhatch, the ground has been extensively disturbed by railway construction and sand/gravel extraction.
Track-bed inspections within the Phoenix Park Tunnel showed that in places there was a concave brick floor beneath the ballast, but elsewhere the base was cut into rock.
Unit 39a, Hebron Business Park, Hebron Road, Kilkenny