County: Kerry Site name: DINGLE: John Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Isabel Bennett
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 444938m, N 601066m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.139673, -10.265419
The site, on the western side of John Street, Dingle (a continuation of Main Street), is within the zone of archaeological potential for the town as recognised by the Urban Archaeological Survey. It may lie within the area defined by the town wall, if it corresponds to the suggested line as shown in the Dingle Peninsula Archaeological Survey. The actual line of the wall is uncertain in most parts of the town, as there are no upstanding remains. The site in question may lie within the town wall, although this is unlikely, and it probably stands some distance outside it.
The development had commenced before an archaeologist was informed, and any ground disturbance that was to take place had already done so.
The site was inspected on 2 March 1998, and it was noted that an extension had been constructed to the rear of the existing street-front buildings (whose foundations were not disturbed) and a smaller structure had been erected on the site of an earlier one in the backyard area. The ground level had been trunked up, so no original ground level, before the commencement of the construction, was exposed. Any foundations that had been inserted were c. 0.45m deep below present ground level and, according to the builder, were dug into previously undisturbed soil.
As no archaeologist was present when ground disturbance work took place, comment cannot be made on any archaeology that may have been present. On the evidence of the builder, and knowing the lack of material found at a nearby site also in John Street (Excavations 1997, 84), and at most of sites investigated so far in Dingle town, it is likely that there was nothing of archaeological significance at this site.
Glen Fahan, Ventry, Tralee, Co. Kerry
