County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 123–133 Francis Street, 1–4 Swift's Alley
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 96E349 and 97E129
Author: Claire Walsh, Archaeological Projects Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 714830m, N 733796m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.341922, -6.275584
An excavation was carried out at a development site at 123–133 Francis Street and 1–4 Swift's Alley, Dublin 8, from 28 April to 23 May 1997 (97E129). Archaeological assessment of the site by the writer had been carried out in 1996 and 1997 (96E349) and two areas of archaeological interest had been defined. The presence of a medieval structure had been noted at the south-east end of the site, beneath Nos 123 and 124 Francis Street. These buildings had not had basements, unlike the buildings elsewhere along Francis Street, where no medieval strata remained. While there were no basements beneath the small houses along Swift's Alley, the assessment indicated the presence of relatively undifferentiated 'garden soils' in this area.
The backlands area of the site was known to contain industrial remains of the post-medieval period. Francis Street was noted in the later period as the foremost area in Dublin for clay tobacco pipe manufacturing, and a large area of post-medieval deposits was required to be investigated. Seven clay pipe kilns, one of which had been rebuilt, and associated industrial buildings were excavated. The structures date from the 18th to the mid-19th century.
The excavation of a 10m by 10m area in the south-east of the site took place to uncover the extent and nature of the medieval building located in the assessment (Trench A). The structure had its long axis parallel to the street, and measured over 9m in length. The wall mass was of clay and rubble. It dates from the 13th–14th century. The assessment indicated that structures occurred on no other area of the site, but a thick accumulation of silt and garden soil, containing few artefacts, overlay the subsoil. These soils of medieval date varied in depth from 0.7m at Swift's Alley to 1.7m at the north-western boundary of the site. There was no significant differentiation or layering in the soils. The remaining medieval deposits on the site were therefore removed by mechanical excavator, and monitored by archaeologists.
No features of significance of medieval date were recorded, but several pits and gullies which cut into subsoil were planned; information on the later medieval property layout relating to Swift's Alley/Francis Street was recovered.
25a Eaton Square, Terenure, Dublin 6W
