2003:1933 - WATERFORD: Kiely's Yard, New Street, Waterford

The site of the former St Stephen's Brewery, now Kiely's Yard, is situated on the corner of New Street, Newgate Street and Stephen's Street, Waterford city. The site is within the zone of archaeological potential of the historic city of Waterford and a test excavation was carried out on 27 and 28 January 2003 in advance of any development. The site incorporates St Stephen's graveyard, which is excluded from the development, so no excavation took place within that area. The site originally sloped down from west to east but is now terraced, except in the waste area at the northern end of the site.

Six trenches were opened, three in the waste ground to the north and west of the site (T1–T3) and three within the modern yard (T4–T6) which occupies the south-eastern part of the site. The waste ground to the north contained a thick deposit of modern dump above a 0.32–0.4m-thick deposit, which contained a sherd of Leinster cooking ware and an undiagnostic household pin of probable post-medieval date. The evidence from T2 and T3 indicated that any early material on the western edge of the site had been cleared during the construction of brewery buildings in the 19th century. The foundations of these buildings were all that survived above bedrock. No early material survived within the yard, although it is possible that medieval deposits are present along the eastern perimeter of the site, where the slope may have aided preservation. It was not possible to trench within this area.

Archaeological Services Unit, University College, Cork.