1994:079 - DUBLIN: The Richmond Hospital complex, North Brunswick St., Dublin

The site formed part of the Old Richmond Hospital complex and was known to be the location of the first Dominican Convent to open in Dublin after the Reformation. Testing was carried out at the site, in advance of development, between October 18–19, 1994.

The convent was founded by charter of James II in 1688 but was taken over by the Dominican nuns soon afterwards. By 1711 however, it was closed. Nearly a hundred years later it became part of the Richmond Hospital, now known as the Old Richmond Hospital. While this was substantially a new building, it did incorporate the existing convent since the original foundation plaque, with a date of 1688, was in position in the cellar walls until relatively recently. A drawing of the Old Richmond Hospital depicts a large building, four storeys high, with a series of steps up to the main door which fronted onto Brunswick St.

From 1816 onwards a series of large extensions was added onto the building, extending back to the rear of the site. These were demolished in recent years.

In all, 13 test trenches were dug by mechanical excavator through extensive rubble deposits. These revealed a division across the site, at the lowest levels. At the southern end gravels and silts were exposed 2.5m below present ground level while at the northern end boulder clay was reached at 1.7m below present ground level.

The gravels and silts possibly represent an undocumented water-course, running along the southern boundary of the site, orientated east-west. Alternatively they form part of the original bed of the river Liffey. The gravels produced no finds but a grey clay deposit did produce one sherd of medieval Dublin ware with some post-medieval sherds.

The test trenches were concentrated on the site of the convent but the presence of a live sewer main prevented testing on the eastern side. A series of post-medieval walls was uncovered most of which could be related to the hospital complex depicted on the Ordnance Survey maps. Only one wall was tentatively identified as being part of the original convent. The wall was orientated north-south, was 6m in length and stood 2m high. It was built of limestone blocks and was 0.4m wide. It was bonded with a yellow clay/mortar which differed from the surrounding walls. To the east the mortared base of the steps up to the main door were also exposed.

45 Wyattville Place, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin