County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 21 East Essex St./26 Wellington Quay
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Margaret Gowen
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 715479m, N 734174m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.345175, -6.265707
The archaeological investigation of this property was carried out to fulfil a condition of the planning decision for the refurbishment of the buildings. The site is located to the west of the Temple Bar Gallery and Studios and the Black Church site. The assessment was based on one north-south trench in the building which is to have its basement level lowered and have mini-piles inserted for the construction of new internal walls.
A red brick floor was found immediately below the cellar floor. Beneath the cellar floor were the following layers:
0.3m–0.5m Loose rubble
0.5m–0.9m Compact brown sandy silt containing a lot of rough building material as well as decayed organic remains. Gravel-tempered and brown glazed earthenware pot sherds and clay pipes were found in this layer.
0.9m–1.2m A deposit of highly organic dark grey-brown silt. Wood, straw and leather offcuts present. Occasional post-medieval potsherds.
1.2m–1.3 Compact deposit of grey coarse sandy clay. Blackened animal bones (due to waterlogging) and occasional potsherds. Also found were two small brass dressmaking pins.
One stone wall foundation was noted running east-west across the trench c. 4.8m from the south end of the basement. It does not appear to be a riverfront quay wall, as the deposits on either side are not dissimilar. It is more likely to represent the cellar wall of a previous building on the site. The deposits noted in the lower levels of this trench date to the 17th century.
Rath House, Ferndale Road, Rathmichael, Co. Dublin
