County: Limerick Site name: LIMERICK: 20–24 Mary St.
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 95E0120
Author: Celie O Rahilly
Site type: Building
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 557859m, N 657543m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.667427, -8.623016
Three test-cuttings were dug in the south-eastern half of the site to determine the archaeological potential in advance of a proposed development. Access to the other half of the site was restricted.
The first cutting was at the rear of No. 22. One deposit, 1.5m below ground level and 0.5m thick, contained some bone and oyster shell, but nothing which could be used for dating purposes.
In the second cutting, located near Creagh Lane on the plot for No. 21, and running north-east by south-west, the side wall of what appears to be a late medieval building was identified. This stone wall had the springer stones for a vault in situ 0.7m below the ground level. The inside face of the wall reached a total height of 2.7m, including the springer block and 0.5m of wall above it. At the south-west end of the cut, the remains of a small section of the voussoirs could be seen. The crown of the vault would have been located under No. 20, now a vacant site. At a level roughly corresponding to the base of the wall was a thin mixed layer overlying what could be the clay floor of the cellar. Below this was another thin dark mixed layer over the natural sandy silt. The total depth was 3.1m but, owing to the loose overlying fill, it was not possible to record accurate depths for the various deposits. The last cutting was dug near the frontage on a continuation of the line of the same wall. A brick cellar was identified below No. 21 Mary St.
Planning Dept., City Hall, Limerick
