County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 15–17 Island Street/33 Watling Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0147
Author: Claire Walsh
Site type: Tannery
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 714248m, N 734210m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.345766, -6.284169
Test excavation of a development site at Watling Street/Island Street, Dublin 8, was undertaken in March 1998. The site occupies the corner of these two streets, and measures c. 47m east-west by 24m north-south. It lies in a potentially archaeologically sensitive area, close to the River Liffey, near to the convergence of several watercourses and to a mill-race, depicted on Speed's map (1610). It lies outside St James Gate, the western limit of the medieval town. On Rocque's (1756) map Island Street was known as Dunghill Lane. Buildings and property walls then occupied part of the site.
The test excavation uncovered the remains of a group of hide-processing pits of Victorian date, which overlay a deep deposit of black, organic silt. Finds from the silt were primarily of 17th-century and later date. It is likely that the silt represents the clearance from stables and latrines in the town—this would account for the low level of artefacts present. A localised area of possible medieval silts was noted at the western part of the site; these silts may be related to the Limerick watercourse, an overflow from the City watercourse.
The hide-processing pits were excavated, and the underlying deposits were removed mechanically in a series of spits. Finds were retrieved, but no further archaeological features were recorded. This work was carried out over a further two-week period in April. The sole surviving evidence of the 19th-century industrial process from this site was the complex of stone- and brick-lined pits. These contained foul-smelling silts with hair, as well as lime.
There were no surviving contemporary levels from the Victorian period or other refuse deposits associated with the trade. The preliminary draft for the OS map of 1836 indicates the presence of skin manufacturers on the site. Skinners, tanners and neatsfoot oil manufacturers were prevalent in the Watling Street/Island Street area, as indicated in the Victorian trade directories. The industrial complex excavated was held by William Lowry of Watling Street in 1836.
25a Eaton Square, Terenure, Dublin 6W
