County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Ship St. Little/Werburgh St.
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 93E0042
Author: Alan Hayden, Archaeological Projects Ltd.
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 715590m, N 734120m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.344666, -6.264061
The site occupies an area measuring 440m east-west by 15m north-south at the south side of the junction of Little Ship St. and Werburgh St.
Assessment was carried out using two mechanically dug trenches (each measuring 6m x 1.5m) on 13th March 1993.
The site had been previously thoroughly tested by G. Scally (see Excavations 1992, 26) but for some reason further testing was considered necessary. Due to the small size of the site and the depth of deposits it was not possible to reach subsoil in either of the trenches but a borehole (unsupervised by an archaeologist)indicated subsoil lay at c. 6.8m below modern ground level.
The two trenches uncovered the following:
Trench 1
(located at the south-east corner of the site)-Cellars to 1.1m.1.1-6m horizontal layers of silt, clay and organic material containing animal bone and sea shells but very little pottery.
Trench 2
(located to the west side of the site) -Cellars to 2.8m.2.8-6m horizontal layers of silt organic material and clay. Occasional lenses of yellow clay (floors?).
The remains of a stout post and wattle fence were retrieved from the bucket of the mechanical excavator from a depth of c. 5.3m.
A number of squared oak timbers, one retaining a tennon, were likewise retrieved from the bucket of the mechanical excavator from a depth of between 5.5m and 6m.
Conclusion
The horizontal nature of all the layers uncovered makes it unlikely that the diverted river Poddle runs across the site and suggests that it and the ditch outside the town wall lie further north, closer to the town wall.
The post and wattle fence and the timbers would appear to be either part of a building, a revetment or other structure of medieval date.
The re-testing of the site confirmed the results achieved by G. Scally in 1992 and only served to further perforate the site with unnecessary holes.
The site was subsequently excavated by Linzi Simpson in 1993. (See No 85, Excavations 1993).
15 St. Brigid's Road Upper, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
