2023:815 - MetroLink Utility Slit Trench Works: Licence Area 1, Balheary, Dublin

Archaeological monitoring was carried out for the phased excavation of utility slit trench works associated with the proposed MetroLink route. The entire route spanned Dublin City running north-south from Lissenhall Little (Estuary Station, located to the immediate north of Swords) in the north to Charlemont Station, Ranelagh, in the south. The works across the city were covered under four separate archaeological licences (Licence Areas 1-4) and two Ministerial Consents.

Licence Area 1, covered by licence 23E0260, was situated at the northern end of the proposed Metrolink Project. Archaeological works comprised monitoring of eleven utility slit trenches, spanning a length of c.1km in the townlands of Lissenhall Little, Lissenhall Great, and Balheary Demesne, Fingal, Co. Dublin.

The eleven slit trenches were selected for archaeological monitoring from a larger number of utility slit trenches in the area on a case-by-case basis reflective of their potential to have an archaeological impact. For example, some trenches were in the proximity of the Area of Archaeological Potential as identified in the MetroLink EIAR for Balheary Demesne, whilst others were in the proximity of townland boundaries. The trenches measured between 3.7m and 32m in length and were 0.6m in width by 1.5m in depth.

No archaeological objects, structures or deposits, were uncovered during the course of the monitoring works of the Utility Slit Trench works in this licence area. The majority of the Utility Slit Trench works was located in greenfield locations, where the ground conditions consisted of topsoil between 0.2m to 0.45m in depth over subsoil.

Five Utility Slit Trench works locations were targeted to assess if any evidence of historic townland boundaries survived. The targeted trenches all cut into existing road or footpath surfaces, which measured c.0. 35m in depth, and proved to be areas heavily disturbed by services. However, where natural was sealed under shallow road surfaces, no evidence for ditches associated with a townland boundary were revealed in the targeted slit trenches. This did not represent a widespread ground reduction, however, and therefore the results cannot be generalised.