Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Newtown Mt. Kennedy

Archaeological monitoring undertaken at Monalin, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, during construction works for Phase 5 and Phase 5a of the Tower Homes development by Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd, under licence 19E0194 uncovered the remains of total of 133 features of probable archaeological provenance were identified in the Phase 5 area. The results of this monitoring were summarised by the excavators as following; 'These features comprise a largely diffuse spread of pits, possible hearths, possible post holes and stakeholes, a number of possible kiln features (WI013-122----) and a large enclosure of c. 50m diameter. These features will be impacted on by the development. It is recommended to fully excavate and record the features in order to preserve the site by record. The Phase 5 area is the footprint of two fields of pasture to the immediate west of the footprint of the development routeway, monitored during phase 4 of the current development works. The south field is bounded on its south side by the private laneway which leads to Monalin House (NIAH Reg No. 16307012). Examination of mapping shows these two fields as areas of pasture, with no additional divisions on both the first and second edition maps. A programme of geophysical survey followed by targeted archaeological test trenching was carried out within the development area by Margaret Gowan and Co. Ltd. in 2005 (05E1423). No trenches were excavated within the current proposed topsoil strip area, and no features were identified within the current area by the geophysical survey. Archaeological monitoring of ground disturbance was undertaken in two phases in January (Phase 5a) and April–May (Phase 5) 2019. The work was undertaken by Liza Kavanagh and Barry Lacey of IAC Ltd in the townland of Monalin, Co. Wicklow. During the course of archaeological monitoring of the Phase 5 area, a total of 133 features of probable archaeological provenance were identified. These features comprise pits, possible hearths, possible post holes and stakeholes, a number of possible kiln features and a large enclosure of c. 50m diameter which straddles the two stripped fields. The enclosure is located on level, raised ground overlooking the valley and watercourse to the northeast. It is slightly oval in plan with a northwest–southeast axis of 50m diameter and a northeast–southwest axis of 45m diameter. A number of pit features (c. 22) were identified within the area enclosed by the ditch, however it is as yet uncertain if these features are contemporary. A causewayed entrance, c. 3m wide was identified in the east-southeast of the ditch circuit. The archaeology in this area is dominated by a large, singe ditched enclosure sited on a level area of high ground overlooking a watercourse and rolling farmland to the north. The siting, size, ditch morphology, location of the causewayed entrance and the retrieval of a ferrous object from the ditchfill suggest that this enclosure represents the remains of a levelled ringfort of early medieval date' (Kavanagh and Duffy 2019, 1-6). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 03 September 2019