County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 98–102 Capel Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 97E0368 ext.
Author: Claire Walsh
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 715185m, N 734710m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.350053, -6.269925
Test-trenching was undertaken at a site at 98–102 Capel Street, Dublin 1, on 21 January 1998 to fulfil a condition of the planning permission granted by Dublin Corporation.
A single trench was excavated by mechanical excavator across the rear of the site. The method statement had proposed the excavation of three trenches; however, the available ground was limited by the presence of standing buildings (to be retained) and extensive deep cellars, which projected for c. 6m to the west of Nos 99–100.
A soil horizon, c. 0.5m deep, which dates to the late 17th century, remained over a limited part of the development site, to the rear of Nos 101–102. The soil is quite heavy clay and, though classified by archaeologists as 'garden soil', bears no obvious indicators of agricultural derivation. A similar soil horizon was observed at a test site at nearby Green Street (Excavations 1997, 45, 96E0382). At that site the soil was dated to no earlier than the 18th century.
Elsewhere on the site considerable truncation by red brick cellars had occurred and no soil horizons, other than red brick demolition layers, remained.
25a Eaton Square, Terenure, Dublin 6W
