1997:094 - DALKEY: 22 Castle Street, Dublin

An archaeological assessment was undertaken at 22 Castle Street, Dalkey, on 11 March 1997 as part of a planning requirement. Demolition of the pre-existing structure on site had taken place prior to assessment.

A single excavation trench, 15m long by 0.9m wide, was mechanically excavated along the central portion of the vacant site (c. north-south), positioned approximately 1m south of the rear perimeter of the site (north) and 4m north of the Castle Street frontage. The northern portion of the trench (0–5.4m) corresponded to an open yard, while the remainder of the trench (5.4–15m) corresponded to the footprint of the recently demolished building which fronted Castle Street. A series of rubble deposits were uncovered within the yard area to a depth of 1.14m from present ground level, where a natural grey sandy clay was encountered. These deposits produced occasional fragments of post-medieval and modern ceramics as well as limpet and cockle shells. The southern section of the trench was also excavated to the natural, here lying 0.9m below present ground level. Foundation walls and redundant services of the demolished property were encountered. However, a limited deposit of limpet and cockle shells survived lying on the natural clay. No finds were recovered to provide a clearer indication of a date of deposition, though it is reasonable to assume that it represents domestic consumption sometime at the end of the 19th century. No further features or soils of archaeological significance were uncovered.

Rath House, Ferndale Road, Rathmichael, Co. Dublin