1998:663 - ENNISCORTHY: Murphy-Flood's Hotel, Irish Street, Wexford

The proposed redevelopment was subject to an archaeological condition in the planning permission. Archaeological testing was required before site preparation works. This was carried out on 13 March 1998. The property lies in the medieval town of Enniscorthy c. 150m to the north-west of the castle. The development consisted of a two-storey building with a reduced yard surface, an extension of an existing basement and the insertion of a stairwell.

Two trenches were excavated on the footprint of the development. In Trench 1 boulder clay was recorded at 12.781m OD. A north-south retaining wall was exposed at the eastern end of the excavation. The foundation trench was cut through boulder clay. A second east-west wall was exposed, which corresponded to a demolished storehouse. A layer up to 0.5m deep of fine-grained, brown silt containing red brick, mortar, sherds of glass, glazed red earthenware and a clay pipe stem overlay boulder clay.

In Trench 2 boulder clay occurred at c. 13.949m OD. Internal layers associated with the storehouse were exposed; beyond the storehouse wall the strata were the same as in Trench 1. No layers of archaeological significance were exposed during the investigation. The drop in the level in the boulder clay across the site is consistent with the natural fall of ground.

Brook Lodge, Bandon, Co. Cork