1997:159 - DUBLIN: Parnell Centre, Parnell Street, Dublin

The site (proposed Imax cinema development) is located within Rotunda Ward, with Parnell Street to the south and Loftus Lane to the north. It is bounded on the east by the Parnell Cinema Complex and multi-storey carpark, which fronts onto Kings Inns Street, and on the west by apartments which front onto Ryders Row. The vacant site measured 50m (north-west/south-east) by 34m (south-west/north-east). Speed's map of Dublin (1610) shows the site to be located north of the precinct of St Mary's Cistercian abbey. While much of Parnell Street (formerly Great Britain Street) was laid out in the first half of the 18th century, the line of the street follows a more ancient thoroughfare and is depicted on Rocque's map (1756). The site was formerly a factory, founded in the early part of the 19th century and demolished some 20–30 years ago. The archaeological assessment was carried out on 11 February 1997.

Two trenches were mechanically excavated across the southern portion of the site along a north-west/south-east axis. Trench 1, located on the eastern side of the site, parallel with the western wall of the Parnell Cinema Complex, measured c. 9m x 1.2m and lay 10m from the southern perimeter of the site. The soil profile revealed dark brown soil mixed with brick rubble, stone slabs, concrete and rubbish (depth 0–3.5m), and dark brown soil containing numerous stone boulders and slabs and occasional fragments of brick rubble (depth 3.5m+). A recent stone and brick wall, bonded with concrete, was uncovered at the southern extremity of the trench, and was 1.5m wide and over 1m deep. The deposits uncovered represent substantial infilling across the site, most probably following the construction of the Parnell Cinema Complex, the foundation of which extends to c. 8m in depth.

Trench 2, positioned south-centre within the site, measured 8m x 1.2m and lay 5m north of the southern perimeter of the site. The soil profile revealed dark brown soil mixed with brick rubble (depth 0–2m), dark brown soil with rounded and angular stone and occasional fragments of brick rubble (2–2.5m), and dark brown fine sandy soil containing numerous rounded and subround stone (2.5m+). An east-west-running stone block and brick wall bonded with concrete found 0.7m below ground level at the south end of the trench represents the Parnell Street frontage of the old factory building. The very disturbed remains of a red brick arch or vaulted cellar roof was located 1.5m below ground surface c. 4m from the south end of the trench.

A third trench excavated at the western perimeter of the site was abandoned owing to unstable ground. Monitoring of site excavation works did not reveal anything of archaeological significance.

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