1992:068 - DUBLIN: 'St Audeon's Church', High St, Dublin

Excavations were carried out at St Audeon's Church over 2 seasons on behalf of the OPW as part of their programme of conservation of the site. The area excavated was confined to c. 14m by 10m south of the church and 9.5m x 6m within the south aisle of the church, known as St Anne's Chapel. Inside the church it quickly became apparent that most of the area had long since been destroyed by a great depth of burials including a brick vault and stone tombs. Further disturbance had been caused by the erection of a vestry in 1848, in what was at that time the unroofed ruin of St Anne's Chapel. South of the church rubble and recent cellars were removed by machine. The cellars directly overlay the medieval deposits.

The earliest evidence for activity on the site was the construction of a substantial stone wall (c. 1m wide) running north-south for at least 10m, and possibly 16m. Associated with this wall on the east side was an extensive area of cobbling which covered all of the area excavated south of the church. A more concentrated and deeper deposit of metalling running alongside the wall reflected the line of a lane or road. A concentration of stone chippings over the cobbles opposite a possible opening in the wall suggests an east-west path via a west gate. Subsequent occupation levels which extended over the cobbling give a terminus post quem for the wall and associated features of c. AD 1100.

Following an attempt at levelling the steep south to north slope by the laying down of layers of gravel, brushwood, organic waste and strands of wattle, a number of post and wattle structures were constructed. Although greatly disturbed by pits, associated features included cess pits, property boundaries and pathways of gravel, wattle screens and timber plants. Associated pottery finds included local and imported wares. Dates provided by dendrochronological analysis indicate that this phase of activity rook place in the first half of the 12th century.

Sections of the east and south walls of a stone structure were exposed. The walls were c. 1m wide. From their position within St Audeon's Church, they most likely form the chancel end of an earlier church. The area available for excavation surrounding this structure was limited and no associated stratified occupational layers were excavated. This structure was demolished and a double-aisle church was constructed which straddled the earlier east gable, although it was re-used to support the plinth for a 13th-century sandstone cluster column. A section of the west and south wall of another stone structure, east of the church, was excavated. A cobbled laneway ran north-south between the two. The present nave of St Audeon's Church crosses the lane but, if projected north, the lane would meet St Audeon's Arch in the city wall. The heavily mortared rubble core of a later east-west wall represents all that remains of a further enlargement of the church across the cobbled lane, which was probably redirected at this stage around the west end of the church.

The remains of a possible domestic range (?) to the south of the church were also partially excavated. There was a 1m wide passageway between this building and the church, but it abutted the church at 1st floor level where 3 squint windows provided a view of the altar. A date of c. AD 1300 has been obtained from a timber drain associated with this structure. Several sandstone window mouldings were recovered from the excavation. They formed part of a 5-light window, the position of which has been located in the fabric of the much altered south wall of the church, further east beyond the domestic range.

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