2025:021 - Kellystown, Dublin 15, Dublin

Test excavations were undertaken on a greenfield site in Kellystown townland, Dublin 15 to inform a future planning application. The test excavations followed on from a geophysical survey of the site under licence 23R0523 extension (Mertes & Young, 2025).

13 Trenches totalling 1094 linear metres were excavated across the c. 3ha site. Trenches were evenly spread to investigate the general archaeological potential of the site and also target the results of the geophysical survey. Two areas of archaeological interest were identified during testing. One was recorded in the geophysical survey as a possible curvilinear ditch and bank on the edge of the survey area while the second was not highlighted in the survey.

Both archaeological areas comprised spreads of burnt stone and charcoal indicating the presence of degraded burnt mounds, also known as fulachta fiadh. These are relatively common prehistoric sites using heated stone to heat/boil water in pits or troughs for cooking or other purposes. No subsoil-cut troughs or pits were identified during testing but it is likely that they are concealed under the burnt mound deposits or outside of the footprint of the test trenches.

A fragment of a stone axehead was retrieved as a stray find from the base of one of the test trenches. These are usually dated to the Neolithic period (c. 4000-2500 BC) but were also less frequently used in the following Bronze Age period.

References:

Mertes, J.R. & Young, T. (2025) ‘Geophysical Survey Report, Archaeological Magnetic Gradiometer Survey, Kellystown, County Dublin, Detection Licence 23R0523 extension’. Unpublished report prepared by TerraDat (UK).