1994:081 - DUBLIN: 27-30 Parliament St., Dublin

Archaeological test-trenching was undertaken over a period of ten days in the basements of four buildings at 27–30 Parliament St. The buildings are located on the western side of Parliament St. and traverse the suggested line of the c. AD 1100 town wall (H. Clarke, 'Dublin c. 840–c. 1540 The Medieval Town in the Modern City' , 1978). The purpose of the trenching was to locate the surface of archaeological deposits if such existed within a maximum 1m depth of the present basement floor levels.

A total of ten trenches were excavated. In No. 27 two trenches were excavated both of which revealed in situ cobbled surfaces which pre-date the construction of the building in the late 18th / early 19th-century. Sealed beneath the cobbles fragments of red brick, slate and clay pipe stems were retrieved which suggest an 18th-century date. In No. 28 three trenches were excavated. The first of these revealed part of the city wall which had been used as a foundation upon which to construct the western wall of the building. In the second trench, part of a small 17th/18th-century turret was exposed. In No. 29 two trenches were dug but no archaeological material was found. In No. 30 three trenches were excavated with only the westernmost one producing archaeological material. In this trench part of what is currently thought to be a small section of the 11th-century Hiberno-Norse earthen bank was uncovered. Further work will take place in 1995 and also testing will be carried out in areas of the basements which were inaccessible during 1994. Funding was provided by the developer.

81 Upper Leeson St., Dublin 4