2022:431 - Archaeological Area 4 (AA4), Horizon Site N, Merryfalls, Silloge, Swords., Dublin

An archaeological excavation was undertaken at Area 4, Horizon Site N, Swords, Co. Dublin.

The site was comprised of a single vernacular house dating to the late 18th/early 19th century. The house had appeared on historic maps as ‘the Mad House’, since Taylor and Skinner’s map of 1816. The excavation showed that the structure had two large rooms and three smaller rooms, with a probable outbuilding to the south. Where the walls survived, they were built from red brick, but in many cases, only the limestone foundations or the cut of the foundation trench survived. An entrance-way was identified in the east of the building. Two fireplaces were recorded in the interior. Their location on either side of an internal wall suggests that they shared a chimney. The remains of floor surfaces were noted in the three smaller rooms. Two of these were cobbled surfaces, while the third room had a raised mortar floor surface with occasional cobblestones noted. A cobbled surface was also noted at the entrance-way in the eastern wall. It did not extend far into the interior, but covered a relatively large area on the exterior. There was evidence of this yard surface having been relaid/repaired at least once. Disturbed remains of an external cobbled surface in the northwest of the site were also recorded.

The excavation at Archaeological Area 4 aimed to preserve by record the late 18th/early 19th century vernacular structure previously identified on historic maps, and confirmed by two phases of archaeological test trenching. All finds retrieved during the excavation support the anticipated date. All features identified on site were associated with the vernacular structure or were of modern date.

c/o IAC Archaeology Ltd, Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow