County: Armagh Site name: ARMAGH: Abbey Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: C. J. Lynn, Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 687293m, N 845298m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.348884, -6.657292
At the end of 1976 small trial-trenches were excavated in the back garden of the former Meeting House, now loaned to the local Welfare Authority. These were designed to provide information about the extent and nature of any deposits in the area so that plans could be made for future work should any redevelopment be planned for the vicinity. It was clear that the construction of the Meeting House (traditionally out of the ruins of Sts. Peter and Paul’s Abbey) had affected the levels now in the steeply-sloping garden to the rear as had the cultivation itself. However, several early features were found including what seemed to be part of a wall-foundation. Unfortunately this could not be properly explored as it lay too close to the very high retaining wall of a nearby garden, but it appears to be of medieval date or earlier. Some hand-made cooking pottery and a glass bead were found and from the topsoil came two very interesting coins, one Hiberno-Norse, the other Anglo-Saxon.
