House - 16th/17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

The remains of a two storey dwelling survives on the site of a monastery described in the OS Letters in 1837 (Herity 2002, 36). It is rectangular in plan with steeply pitched gables (est. dims. L 12.80m; Wth 9.50m) and a chimney out-shot in the SW corner. Remains of two plain (damaged) windows survive in the N gable. Built of randomly coursed rubble masonry with roughly dressed quoins. There are traces of a vault over the ground floor. In the 19th century wicker centring was observed. The OS Letters also describe a series of steps which descended to ground floor, that no longer exist (Hegarty 1939, 70; Healy 1961, 109-130). Proposed development on the periphery of this site necessitated the archaeological clearance of the areas to the north, east and south in 1990 (licence no. E000586). No features were encountered and the only finds of archaeological interest were two sherds of Sgraffitto-type pottery, and a portion of a large quernstone (Swan 1991, 27).

Compiled by Geraldine Stout

Date of upload: 25th April 2012

References

Swan, D.L. 1991b Killininny, Oldcourt. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1990: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 27. Bray. Wordwell.

Swan, D.L. 1991a Church of St. John, The Evangelist, Coolock. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1990: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 25. Bray. Wordwell.

Herity, M. (ed.) 2002 Ordnance Survey Letters Kildare. Dublin. Four Masters Press.

Hegarty, J. 1939 The Dodder valley. Dublin Historical Record 2, 59-72.

Healy, P. 1961 The Valley of Glenasmole. Dublin Historical Record 16, 109-30.