County: Kerry Site name: TRALEE: Abbey Carpark
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 97E0232
Author: Martin E. Byrne
Site type: Religious house - Dominican friars
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 483342m, N 614241m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.267482, -9.709191
An archaeological evaluation of a proposed development site was undertaken on 8 July at the request of a potential purchaser. The site lies on the western side of the Abbey Carpark, Tralee, and presently consists of two single-storey 'lock-ups', formed by the partial demolition of houses that existed on the site. These structures are the only extant remains of a row of two-storey houses which fronted onto the former Lower Abbey Street.
The site is located within the area of archaeological potential for Tralee and in the vicinity of the postulated location of the Dominican Priory of the Holy Cross. This priory was founded in 1253 but the date of suppression is not known, although some of its buildings were still extant and in generally good condition in 1580, but described as ruinous four years later.
The low roof levels and low door lintels denied access to the site by mini-digger. Therefore only two trenches could be excavated by parking the machine outside the doors, through which the machine arm was extended. A certain amount of hand-digging was also undertaken. The remains of in situ human skeletal material were uncovered in the northern trench, 1960mm (1.555m OD) below the present ground surface. The remains of a wall were uncovered in the southern trench. The wall, which is 860mm wide, stands for a height of c. 1000mm above the 'natural' surface (1.355m OD) and the top is located some 1100mm below the present ground surface. The foundations of the wall, along the northern face, appear to be sealed by in situ human skeletal remains, and it was not feasible to investigate the southern wall face. The skeletons appear to be generally orientated east-west.
It is clear from the evaluation that evidence for the priory and associated graveyard was uncovered, although it is unclear what part of the priory the wall actually represents. Archaeological monitoring undertaken during 1996 at the adjacent site to the north did not uncover any in situ archaeological features, although window and column masonry pieces were recovered.
At the time of writing, no decision had been made in respect of whether the site would be developed.
39 Kerdiff Park, Monread, Naas, Co. Kildare
