County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 19-21 Eustace St., The Curved Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 93E0037
Author: Margaret Gowen
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 715565m, N 734144m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.344887, -6.264428
This site is located on the west side of Temple Lane, the only medieval street in the Temple Bar area. It ran from Dame St. down towards the Augustinian friary and river Liffey. The full extent of the friary lands and ancillary buildings has not yet been established. Earlier monitoring of the refurbishment of No. 18 Eustace St. (Excavavations 1992, 23) indicated that no archaeological soils existed below basement level on this side of the site. The Temple Lane side of the site was thought to have a possible archaeological potential.
One test pit excavated for engineering purposes was examined on the west (Eustace St.) side of the site. In this location a backfilled basement appears to extend right across the Eustace St. frontage of the site. The pit revealed a loose, demolition fill on a basement slab overlying a sterile boulder clay.
Three further test trenches were opened on the site, two of which revealed a loose demolition fill on a sterile boulder clay. The third revealed a loose deposit of dark brown garden soil abutting a cellar wall. This contained some animal bone, clay pipe stems and fragments of red brick.
The implication is that the surface of the old ground level has been removed across the entire site and that no archaeological soils survive. It is possible, however, that features cut into subsoil, such as wall foundations and pits/ditches (similar to the burials) may exist below the old ground level.
Accordingly, an archaeological 'watching brief' will be maintained on the site clearance works to facilitate the investigation/recording of any features that may be exposed.
Rath House, Ferndale Rd., Rathmichael, Co. Dublin
