County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 33–34 Parliament St.
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Margaret Gowen
Site type: Town defences
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 715367m, N 734122m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.344733, -6.267407
A sequence of city defences runs through this site from north to south. They represent an expansion of the enclosed Viking town eastwards towards the Poddle, on a line from Dublin Castle to the Liffey. The foundation layout for this development involved very considerable ground disturbance. The only undisturbed portion of the site will be a 5m-wide x 15m-long area, between two groups of pads, at the back (west side) of the site.
The results of previous trial borings and inspection of the test pits cut some years ago, coupled with the evidence retrieved during partial excavation of the site next door (No. 35) (Excavations 1991, 14), clearly indicate the presence of at least one Viking-age bank. Map evidence indicates that the 13th-century city wall clips the north-eastern corner of this site running in a north-westerly direction beneath the frontage of Nos. 33-34 and on beneath No. 32.
It was concluded that pre-development archaeological resolution would have to involve the comprehensive excavation of the site and an excavation was carried out by Georgina Scally between early October 1993 and January 1994. (See No. 82, Excavations 1993)
Rath House, Ferndale Rd., Rathmichael, Co. Dublin
