County: Kildare Site name: NAAS: Bank of Ireland, Main St.
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 19:30 Licence number: 95E0214
Author: Cia McConway, ADS Ltd
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 689231m, N 719429m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.217778, -6.663901
The development work entailed an extension to the rear of the existing Bank of Ireland on Main St., Naas, Co. Kildare. The site lay within an archaeologically sensitive area, being close to the site of the 17th-century Dominican Friary and lying within the proposed line of the town defences.
Two trenches were mechanically opened up in the areas where most disturbance would occur. The area to be tested was severely confined owing to service lines, power cables and an ESB substation to the extreme south-west and south-east.
Trench 1 measured 11m x 1m and ran south-west/north-east along the back of the proposed extension. In general the trench cut through disturbed and infilled material. One possible archaeological layer was uncovered: 0.3m of soft black/dark brown clay with animal bone and shell and free from red brick. It lay directly on top of the natural subsoil. One large pit of undetermined age was uncovered cutting into the natural, containing three distinct fills. None of the fills produced anything datable but were all free from red brick and modern debris.
Trench 2 was 3m x 1m and ran south-west/north-east. It cut through modern deposits, disturbed ground and right through the middle of a second large pit, leaving its outer edge only in the section face. The pit contained a homogeneous fill of sticky dark brown-red clay with animal bone, charcoal and shell. It was also totally free of red brick and modern pottery.
The presence of the two pits and one possible archaeological layer suggests settlement debris of indeterminate date and origin.
Power House, Pigeon House Harbour, Dublin 4
