1995:068 - DUBLIN: 56–7 Dame St./28 Eustace St./1A Temple Lane, Dublin

The site of a proposed commercial development at 56–7 Dame St., 28 Eustace St. and 1A Temple Lane was archaeologically tested in August 1995. The assessment was carried out in response to a request from Dublin Corporation for an archaeological impact statement. The site lies within a zone of archaeological potential as defined by Dublin City Development Plan. Temple Lane is a medieval street and was the original access route to the Augustinian Friary of Holy Trinity founded in the later 13th century.

The testing was principally confined to No. 56 Dame St., where trenches were opened along the lines of two of the proposed ground beams, each of which was to be constructed at a depth of 1m from basement level. The natural boulder clay was exposed close to the surface in both trenches with only a single layer of made-up ground being discovered in Trench 1. This layer may represent medieval garden soil sitting directly on the natural boulder clay. The shallow stratigraphy is not surprising as the site was already excavated to basement level sometime during the past 300 years. No dating evidence was retrieved for the layer but the absence of modern finds and the presence of animal bone may suggest that the layer is older than the post-medieval period. A roughly coursed limestone wall that appeared to be of post-medieval date was discovered running east-west in Trench 1.

Mespil House, Sussex Road, Dublin 4