County: Dublin Site name: Woodside, Swords
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 24E0374
Author: Maeve McCormick
Site type: Townland boundary
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 718882m, N 746336m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.453664, -6.210048
Archaeological Test Excavation was undertaken on site at Woodside, Swords, Co. Dublin (townlands of Sword Demesne and Mountgorry). The site measures c.0.57ha. Three test trenches were excavated across the site totalling 105 linear metres. Works took place on 8 April 2024. Trenches were placed to assess the general archaeological potential of the site. Constraints within the landscaped garden, such as a stone pond and mature ornamental trees, resulted in a change to the proposed trench plan which reduced the trenching from the proposed 155 linear metres to 105.
A light brown, friable, silty clay topsoil was noted across the landscaped garden (Trench 2 & 3). Nothing of archaeological significance was recorded in those trenches. Trench 1 contained a modern stone-lined well (C5) at the east. The townland boundary between Mountgorry and Swords Demesne is known to cut through the property running north-south. Trench 1 was placed to assess this ditch. The townland boundary ditch (C6) was located to the west of the trench. It measured 3.2m wide at top, 1.5m wide at base, 1.8m deep (from surface). It had gently sloping sides with a U-shaped base. The ditch was filled with an old ground and rubble upper layer (C3) comprising crumbly and friable light brown clay with frequent roots and rubble/modern debris (0.4m deep). This overlay a basal fill, a dark grey-blue waterlogged clay (C7; 0.75m deep). This basal layer contained modern tableware and willow pattern pottery.
Archer Heritage Planning, Unit 1, Tenure Business Park, Co Louth A92 K2VF
