1994:208 - SLIGO: Rockwood Parade, Tobergal Lane, Sligo

Site A: Youth Centre, Rockwood Parade
Very little of archaeological significance was found at the northern end of the site. However the features uncovered in one of the three trenches were interesting in that they mirror those found elsewhere in Rockwood Parade, particularly that in the site at 30 O'Connell St. (see Excavations 1993, 72) where it was noted that the original plots laid out running east of O'Connell St. ran the entire distance from the street to the river. Also noteworthy is the fact that, not surprisingly, the area close to the river was used in the tanning of leather. However both these features, the wall line and the tanning pits, probably date to the late 17th century at the earliest and the discovery of glass and clay pipes in the redeposited soils into which the features were cut suggests a date into the 18th century.

Site B: Blackwood's Yard, Rockwood Parade
Little of archaeological significance was found in the site except for the layout of the walls which were uncovered. The east-west running examples are likely to represent the original plot divisions, however these appear to be the continuations of wall lines already existing in Grattan St., thought by Bradley to be medieval in date (Bradley, J. and Dunne, N. The Urban Archaeological Survey Part XXI: Co. Sligo 1987). However the walls uncovered in Blackwood's Yard are post-1600 in date; at least the foundation trenches for the walls are cut through similar redeposited soils that have been noted elsewhere in Rockwood Parade. The explanation for this is likely to be that while the line and associated plots of Castle St. and Grattan St. are medieval in date, they did not originally stretch down as far as the present location of the Blackwood's Yard development. However, when the line of the Garvoge river was first embanked, probably sometime after 1600, and the area infilled with redeposited soils, the lines of the medieval plots of Castle St./Grattan St. were continued, giving the present appearance to the townscape.

Site C: Carraig Donn, Tobergal Lane
A single trench was machine excavated down to bedrock in this small area. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered.

Site D: Site to rear of Ritz Restaurant, Tobergal Lane
The archaeology of the site consisted of up to 1.8m of redeposited soils, dumped in the area as land fill and reclamation, behind the initial walling of the river Garvoge. These soils were cut into by two cross-walls representing the original layout of the buildings in this area of the lane. These features underlay some 0.6m of modern building debris.

Nothing was found in this small area to alter the picture which is emerging from the various test trenches carried out in the area of the Rockwood Parade development. The evidence suggests that after the walling of the river Garvoge, in order to minimise the effects of flood water, the area between O'Connell St. and the river was levelled up with introduced soils, on which the Rockwood Parade area was developed. These events probably post-date 1600.

Powerhouse, Pigeon House Harbour, Dublin 2