County: Wexford Site name: WEXFORD: Custom House Quay
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 97E0211
Author: Cia Mc Conway, Archaeological Development Services Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 704827m, N 621850m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.338234, -6.461693
The site measured 9.3m north-west/south-east by 16.8m north-east/south-west and is located at the south-eastern limit of Custom House Quay. It lies within the zone of archaeological potential, bounded by a public lane along the south-east, by Custom House Quay along the north-east, and by adjoining properties along the north-west and south-west. The assessment was carried out prior to a proposed residential and retail development.
Two trenches were opened along the line of proposed maximum disturbance. The trench edges were very unstable and prone to collapse, cutting through 2m+ of post-medieval landfill—the upper 1m even included soft drinks cans.
The south-eastern face of one trench collapsed to reveal a stone and mortar wall with red brick inclusions running north-east/south-west parallel to the trench. The upper courses of the wall were constructed from red brick and mortar. The wall extended for the full depth of the trench—2.2m—and beyond, beginning at present ground level. The upper courses could be followed and it was found to have been the foundation wall of a red brick partitioning wall, still upstanding along the public lane.
Results from the assessment indicate that the shoreline originally extended further south than at present. The site was composed of made-up ground, the result of post-medieval land reclamation.
Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3
