1996:273 - MONEYMORE, Drogheda, Louth

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Louth Site name: MONEYMORE, Drogheda

Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 96E0160

Author: Donald Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.

Site type: Historic town

Period/Dating: Multi-period

ITM: E 708727m, N 775017m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.713499, -6.352876

The Drogheda Main Drainage and Wastewater Disposal Scheme necessitated the excavation of various archaeologically sensitive sites within the town. Five areas were identified for excavation in advance of the sewer. These sites consisted of the town wall at the Peace Bridge, Murdock's carpark on the north bank of the river, John Street on the south bank of the river, the Mall on the north bank, and the north side of Dyer Street.

Peace Bridge
Excavations at the Peace Bridge revealed quite a lot of information about the construction of the town wall. A small area was opened up on either side of the town wall and the stratigraphy examined. The wall would appear to have been built on a foundation of loose boulders and is almost 2m wide at the base. It originally stood to a height of over 7m (22ft) here, and had a batter at the base on the outside. Two phases of construction were noted, as was evident from the existence of two wall-walks. Arrow-slits are evident near the top of the wall but another was found below present ground level. Originally ground level was at least 1.5m below what it is now, and it was built up during the fourteenth/fifteenth century.

Murdock's carpark
An area located between the new Garda Barracks and the river was excavated in Murdock's carpark along the suspected line of the river wall. The foundations of two walls were uncovered in the trench, one running roughly north-south and the second running east-west. Both walls were found to be eighteenth-century in date and possibly belonged to the saltworks which originally stood on this site. The area along the north bank of the river would appear to have been made up some time during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

John Street
An area was identified for excavation at the junction of the probable line of the town wall with the line of the proposed sewer just below the Butter Gate and just off the John Street Dual Carriageway. Excavation here revealed the foundation of the town wall, which originally ran from the Butter Gate down to another gate at the end of John Street and further on to the river. The town wall was found to have been excavated into the natural boulder clay and evidence for a possible ditch-like feature was found just outside to the west. Though this wall stood up until the 1950s it would appear that a lot of disturbance has taken place. It appears that the town wall was built against a bank of boulder clay and was therefore only faced on its east side.

The Mall
Excavations at the Mall took place in the area of the garden of the medieval Franciscan friary. A very substantial wall that was demolished during the thirteenth century was discovered. It may represent an earlier line of town defences as it is on the same line as the early defences along Curry's Hill to the south of the river.

Further east along the Mall portions of the town wall together with St Catherine's Gate were uncovered. The east and west walls of one of the towers of this gate were present and its foundations were quite substantial. It would appear to have been demolished during the sixteenth century.

Dyer Street
Excavations at Dyer Street revealed the remains of several medieval houses. One of these was very substantial and was located at the east end of the street close to Shop Street junction. The walls of this building were 1.35m wide and survived to a height of 0.9m. The house stood three storeys high until recent demolition. Two original doorways were revealed leading to Dyer Street, each measuring almost 1.5m in width and framed by cut sandstone jambs. Three successive cobble floors and a stone-lined well existed inside the building. Both the stone well and the house date to the mid-1200s. The house was internally divided by timber partitions and all buildings erected on the site since have reused the medieval walls as their base or foundation. The presence of hearths, spindlewhorls, bone needles and a linen smoother are indicative of industrial activity on the site.

A series of medieval drains were uncovered below the second house, heading in a north-south direction. Finds from the site included pottery from Bristol. Cheshire and France. Sherds of local pottery, stone crucibles, small rings and pins and carved ornate gaming-pieces of deer antler were also found.

Work is ongoing on this project.

30 Laurence St., Drogheda, Co. Louth