County: Wexford Site name: WEXFORD: Rear of Talbot Hotel, Trinity St.
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 95E0018
Author: Georgina Scally
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 705118m, N 621551m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.335487, -6.457535
Archaeological test-trenching in advance of landscaping an area to the rear of the Talbot Hotel, Trinity St., Wexford, was undertaken over a period of four days in late January 1995. The area in question was located on high ground adjacent to the east side of the Barracks, which is thought to have been the site of the Norman castle and the location of the original Viking settlement of the town.
The area to be landscaped measured 64m north-south and approx. 18m (max.) east-west. The ground sloped considerably eastwards and a steep scarp existed on the eastern side where earlier clearance had taken place. A number of large mature trees stood on the site, while other trees had recently been felled; hence the excavation of the trenches was made difficult by the network of roots which traversed the site.
Seven trenches were excavated by hand, and in six natural boulder clay was exposed. In the seventh trench boulder clay was not identified and excavation was discontinued at 1.7m depth. No trace of archaeological remains or features was uncovered in any of the trenches. Funding was provided by the contractor.
c/o 81 Upper Leeson St., Dublin 4
