1994:045 - CHAPELIZOD: Chapelizod Rd./Maiden Row, Dublin

The site lies within the Zone of Archaeological Potential as defined in the City Development Plan and also defined by the Office of Public Works Sites and Monuments Record Survey though there is no specific known archaeological feature on the site.

The development site lies at the junction of Maiden Row (which runs along the north side of the mill race) and Chapelizod Rd. This part of Chapelizod lies some considerable distance (c. 1.5km) from the location of the Viking Age cemetery at Inchicore/Kilmainham. Skeletons were recovered during excavation by Paddy Healy along a stretch of the Con Colbert Rd. some years ago during the construction of the Chapelizod by-pass.

Chapelizod is depicted by Rocque (1756) as a small centre and a portion of the mill race to the south of Maiden Row is depicted though it is not shown to re-connect with the river as it now does. There is no specific record of the construction of the mill-race which was obviously constructed before Rocque's map was made.

Three test trenches were opened at the western, northern and southern extremes of the triangular site, thus providing a relatively comprehensive record of the soil build-up on the site, in spite of the restricted access.

Trench 1 revealed blocky stones which were apparently derived from a clay-bonded riverfront revetment. Examination of the river bank on the south-eastern side of the 'mill stream' bridge revealed a very similar structure in situ. In that location the revetment survives four courses high and is composed of similar squared blocks. The dating of the structure is established by finds retrieved from the ashy layer behind it. These include a fragment of a brown-glazed Staffordshire cup, a tin-glazed Staffordshire plate and a fragment of hand-painted delft. The revetment is therefore unlikely to have been in existence when Rocque's map was made.

Trenches 2 and 3 revealed evidence for masonry foundations. A construction date of c.1830 for this new mill race wall is suggested based on the date of the clay pipe bowl found in fill around the old revetment wall in Trench 1. This means that it was constructed some time before the 1st edition of the Ordnance Survey 6" map was completed and it seems that the site may have been cleared of its standing buildings to facilitate construction of the new mill race wall and to provide the infilling needed to bring up the ground level behind it. It lies some 6m south of the position of the wall discovered in Trench 1. The opportunity afforded by excavation for the basement will establish and record the footprint of the 18th/19th-century buildings, as they are not recorded by the Ordnance Survey.

An archaeological 'watching brief' on the excavation for the foundations and basement formation level will be maintained at the appropriate time.

Rath House, Ferndale Rd, Rathmichael, Co. Dublin