1992:055 - DUBLIN: Cornmarket/Francis St./Lamb Alley, Dublin

The site occupies a large area bounded by the above 3 streets. A number of test trenches were opened on the site in 1991 by Andrew Halpin (Excavations, 1991, 13).

The medieval town ditch was noted as occurring on the east side of the site.

Excavation was undertaken over a 7-week period from 3rd August to 25th September 1992.

Three main areas were excavated: a 20m/north-south by 10m/east-west area at the north-east corner of the site, linked to a 5m wide trench extending eastwards across the line of the town ditch and a 10m sq. area at the south-west corner of the site. Three further trenches were opened by mechanical excavator along the east side of the site to trace the line of the ditch along the west side of Lamb Alley. A further 3 small areas on the Lamb Alley frontage were also excavated during clearance in advance of building work.

The earliest features uncovered consisted of 2 parallel ditches each 2.5m deep and 5m-6m wide extending north-south across the site. The eastern was partly cut away by the later town ditch. The smaller ditches date to the 12th century and appear to be either pre-Norman defences or more likely the 1st defences erected around the west side of the town by the Anglo-Normans. Part of a similar ditch was uncovered on the Bridge St Upr site (see above no. 50).

The 13th-century town ditch proved to be 6m in depth and contained fills dating from the 13th to 15th century. A wooden revetment was constructed to keep the upper 2m of the west side of the ditch vertical, but soon collapsed.

Included among the fills was the waste from a 13th-century bronze workshop which consisted of ash, charcoal, burnt clay, tuyere, a buckle-mould, and unfinished pins, rings, buckles and brooches.

The workshop itself was also uncovered outside the ditch. There a post and wattle building survived which had been refloored on numerous occasions and on each floor a thick deposit of charcoal accumulated. One of the deposits contained a large quantity of liquid mercury probably used in gilding. Remarkably Waltei Bukeler and Patricii le buckeler are mentioned as having been in residence in Bertram Court respectively in 1278-9 and 1280-82 (Linzi Simpson, pers. comm.) and it is possible that this is their workshop! A further building stood to the north of the latter and a further level of structures occurred in both plots.

A metalled roadway ran along the west side of the site and was probably the original Francis St laid out in the late 12th or early 13th century.

Overlying the buildings several levels of industrial activity occurred. These consisted of an iron smelting furnace and the truncated remains of one or two possible roof tile kilns–thousands of sherds of roof rile were uncovered, the majority being wasters.

A roadway extending east-west across the site was uncovered at 14th-century level and may have been Bertram's Court. A massive stone drain ran along the side of the road and emptied into the partly filled town ditch. The ditch at this level was recut and lined with stone sides and a clay base presumably to allow it to act as a drain for water.

The area excavated at the south-west corner of the site in the vicinity of the medieval 'Fairgreen' contained the remains of a single structure truncated by a series of large pits dating from the 12th to 15th century.

The waste from 2 clay pipe kilns, one 18th century the other 19th century in date, was discovered in this area. A large quantity of muffle, kiln furniture, ash, and wasters was retrieved. Pipes included an issue depicting a hot air balloon probably commemorating the first balloon ascent in Ireland by Richard Crosbie in 1795.

The dumps from 3 further clay pipe kilns were excavated along the Lamb Alley frontage.

A number of 18th-century tanning pits, buried barrels and elaborated red brick drainage systems were also excavated at the north end of the site.

The work was commissioned and funded by the developers.

15 St Brigid's Rd Upr., Drumcondra, Dublin 9