County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Temple Bar West
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 96E0245
Author: Linzi Simpson, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: House - Viking/Hiberno-Norse
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 715326m, N 734126m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.344778, -6.268021
The fourth and final phase of excavation commenced in Temple Bar West in January 1998 at the western (Fishamble Street) side of the site. The previous excavations had uncovered early evidence of habitation and ploughing, as well as mid- to late 9th-century Viking habitation superseded by industrial activity, which continued into the Anglo-Norman period (Excavations 1997, 41–2).
The west side of the site also produced evidence of ploughing followed by early habitation in the form of three small, well-preserved, sunken structures clustered together. These were sealed by a phase of infilling and levelling-up of the slope, which was followed by the creation of three large properties, orientated north-south and delineated by post-and-wattle fences. These properties contained wattle pens and at least one dwelling, thought to date to the mid- to late 9th century. The early 10th century saw reorganisation of the area and the division of the three early properties into six property plots, each of which contained a house (Type 1 after Wallace), wattle path and sub-buildings. At the upper levels the paths were of stone. In all at least seven levels were identified, with over 100 buildings in total. These included one small, sunken house with a well-preserved wattle floor, thought to date to the 11th century.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
