County: Dublin Site name: Swords Cultural Quarter, Townparks, Swords
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU011-035 Licence number: 22E0038
Author: David Bayley
Site type: Medieval
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 718304m, N 747016m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.459902, -6.218490
Archaeological testing was undertaken on behalf of Fingal County Council, to study the impact, if any, on the archaeological and historical resource of a proposed development at Swords Civic & Cultural Centre, a component of the Swords Cultural Quarter project, located in Swords, North County Dublin.
Test trenching took place from 15-17 February 2022. A total of 9 trenches were excavated across the site measuring 114 linear metres. The trenches were within the zone of notification for recorded monument DU011-035 (Swords Historic town), and were placed to avoid known underground services and to fully investigate the archaeological potential of the site.
Testing revealed archaeological remains across the site. Garden soils, up to 0.4m deep, were identified in four trenches in the east and northern half of the site. Medieval pottery was recovered from the garden soil in the east and north-west of the test area. It is likely that these garden soils are all contemporary and may represent a homogenous layer that has been heavily disturbed. The garden soils in general sealed the other identified medieval features.
Other medieval activity consisted of a metalled surface with a limestone drain; all yielded sherds of medieval pottery in the north-west of the site. An undated mortared stone wall was found in the same trench. In the centre-east area of the site, a possible linear boundary ditch, a very compact mettled surface, pits and furrows were identified with many producing medieval pottery. A series of furrows were evident in the north of the site but produced no diagnostic material, while a similar furrow in the south of the site did produce a medieval pottery sherd.
Testing also revealed areas of modern disturbance across the site, and it is clear from a GPR survey for services carried out before the archaeological works that the site has been heavily truncated by modern services.
It has been recommended to preserve the identified features through archaeological excavation (i.e. 'by record').
c/o IAC Archaeology, Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
