County: Armagh Site name: ARMAGH CITY: Old Meeting House, Abbey Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: C.J Lynn, Dept. of the Environment
Site type: Religious house - Augustinian canons
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 687433m, N 845502m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.350692, -6.655079
As part of the limited programme of excavation in Armagh two small test-trenches were excavated in the back garden of the former Meeting House, now loaned to the local Welfare Authority. They were intended to provide information about the nature and extent of any early deposits so that provision could be made for future excavation should any redevelopment be planned for the area. It was clear that the construction of the Meeting House (traditionally from the ruins of the important Augustinian Abbey of Sts Peter and Paul) had affected the levels in the now steeply-sloping garden as had cultivation. Several ancient features were found including a substantial wall foundation. Only a very short length could be explored as it lay close to the high rubble wall of an up-slope garden; to judge from the material which lay over and around the foundations, they are of medieval or earlier date. Souterrain ware, medieval everted-rim cooking pottery and a glass bead were found and from the topsoil came two very interesting coins: one Hiberno-Norse, the other Anglo-Saxon. See Dolley, M. (1976) in Seanchas Ard Mhaca.
