County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 6—8 Usher’s Quay, Merchants Quay Ward
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Heather A. King
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 714748m, N 734170m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.345298, -6.276679
Trial trenching was carried out on the 7 and 9 April 1990 in advance of an application for permission to redevelop the site by Ballymore Homes Ltd, who funded the excavation.
The site occupies the extreme north-west corner of the medieval town. Prior to the 13th century the site was probably unoccupied, but by the 14th century the area was enclosed and there is a record of two wall towers and a house in this corner of the town.
Prior to excavation the site was cleared of upstanding structures although several basement/sub-basement walls remained. Eight cuttings were opened and these revealed that while there was considerable disturbance on the site from the construction of 18th-century houses there was one very substantial angled wall c. 1.1m thick. The function of this wall is unknown. In addition, one cutting revealed a stratified occupation level with 13th-/14th-century potsherds at a depth of 2.93m below present street level. Seventeenth century material was also uncovered but this appeared to be in disturbed contexts. Further excavation was recommended to determine the extent of the occupation level and the date and function of the wall.
Skidoo, Ballyboughal, Co. Dublin
