County: Kildare Site name: KILDARE: Market Square
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0239
Author: Richard N. O'Brien, Archaeological Development Services Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 672771m, N 712439m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.157474, -6.911900
Monitoring and excavation took place in advance of an extension of the 'Carnoisseur' shop at the corner of Claregate Street and Market Square in Kildare town on 21–2 May 1998. An area measuring 4.6m east-west x 5.1m was stripped of overburden, and three 1m-wide strip foundation trenches were machine-excavated. Archaeological features were subsequently hand-excavated within the trenches to the required foundation depth of 800mm.
One edge of a drain/gully feature running south-west/north-east was revealed in the south and east trenches. This was filled with a light brown, charcoal-flecked, organic clay. A small portion of this clay had a darker, more heavily charcoal-flecked consistency. Both clays contained disarticulated animal bones, slate fragments, unworked wood fragments and sherds of medieval pottery.
At the south-west edge of the drain a cobbled/ metalled stone surface was revealed. This was partially covered by a layer of stones, perhaps collapse from a wall fronting Claregate Street? The cobbled surface may have acted as a footpath along the side of the drain. Further excavation was not required, and the features were covered with terram.
Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3
