1991:133 - WEXFORD TOWN, Wexford

During April to July 1991 Wexford Corporation put a new sewerage system into the northern end of the town. The trenches were dug to a maximum depth of 3m and were approximately 1m—2m in width. Along Main St the trench was dug to a depth of 2m and a width of 1.17m, to the depth of the original sewer pipe. Along Main St under the original culvert was a rock outcrop on which the road was built and was thus of little interest to the archaeologist.

At the Bull Ring, on the seaward side of the Croppy Boy statue, a trench was dug varying in width from 1m—2.1m to a depth of 3m. Beneath the surface lay 0.6m of rubble. A brown clay mixture with stone and sand continued for a depth of 1.6m below this and this in turn overlay a black organic deposit 0.4m deep. Along the line of this black deposit and lying flush with the edge of the trench was a line of staves each approximately 0.62m x 0.28m and 0.05m in thickness embedded into the subsoil. The trench was very badly flooded at this point. These planks were visible in the side of the trench facing away from the sea. A similar deposit of brown over black organic material was visible on the other side of the trench. Some sherds of medieval pottery were uncovered.