County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Jury's Hotel development, Christchurch Place
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Margaret Gowen
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 715026m, N 734926m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.352028, -6.272233
An archaeological watching brief on the site-clearance and excavation for foundation structures commenced in January 1992. It revealed several 'high spots' of rich archaeological deposits which had not been recorded on the site investigations. The mechanical excavation was stopped and the sensitive portions of the site excavated by hand in a 'salvage' operation lasting 10 consecutive days (Area 2). Excavation in the lift-shaft pit and in 4 pile cap pits yielded evidence for 4 pre-Norman houses, at least one of which appears to be a Type-1 (Wallace 1992) house. A portion of a 13th-century structure was also found. Finds included a Hiberno-Norse coin dating to c. AD 1060.
Area 1 was excavated by Alan Hayden in a 2-day investigation prior to back filling of the area with hardcore. Subsequent testing of an area on which a sub-station has been constructed led to a recommendation that the area be excavated prior to building. The excavation of that area was carried out by Alan Hayden (Area 3).
Monitoring of the excavation for the foundations of the car park at the back (south) of the hotel building led to a requirement for excavation of another lift-shaft pit (Area 4). It too, was carried out by Alan Hayden.
Testing along the supposed line of the pre-Norman city wall, beneath the car park building, was also carried out by Alan Hayden (see 1992, no. 53, for work carried out by Alan Hayden in this area).
Block C
Archaeological assessment of this area was carried out in August 1992. Six trenches were opened. The aim of the investigation was to confirm the precise location of the area excavated by Brendáin Ó Ríordáin and assess the survival, nature and extent of the archaeological deposits on the site and the impact of the proposed building on them. The proposal for the excavation to be carried out by Claire Walsh (Jan-May 1993) linking with the area of Brendáin Ó Riordain's excavation and investigating the pre-Norman embankment and city wall arose as a result of the findings of this investigation.
5 St Catherine's Rd. Glenageary, Co. Dublin
