County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Former Smithfield Distillery Site
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 95E0108
Author: Judith Carroll
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 714701m, N 734509m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.348353, -6.277262
The assessment took place on the 1.5-acre site of the disused distillery at Smithfield, which is bounded by Bow St., Friary Lane and Church St. New and was carried out between 12 and 30 June 1995. The site is currently proposed for development and the work was carried out at the request of the developer, Heritage Properties Ltd, before any plans were drawn up for it.Though there is no direct archaeological or historical evidence to suggest that this particular site in Smithfield was occupied during medieval times, the site is probably situated in one of the most historically important areas of Dublin north of the Liffey. From the evidence of historical maps and records, it may be in the centre of the area of Oxmantown, the earliest Viking settlement north of the Liffey. It is only a few metres away from the present boundary wall of the medieval ecclesiastical site of St Michan's, which was founded in the late 11th century.
The site comprises a complex of many buildings, all related to the old distillery, many of which will be preserved. All through the site, foundations for massive structures, huge vatstands, pits and networks of deep cellaring had disturbed the ground well below natural subsoil. Though trial-trenches and test-pits were cut at 17 different points, no layers, finds or features of any archaeological significance, or warranting further investigation, were found during the trial-trenching.
30 Ramleh Park, Milltown, Dublin 6
