County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Iveagh Market, Francis Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0184
Author: Helen Kehoe, c/o Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 714888m, N 733840m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.342304, -6.274698
The site, just outside and to the west of Dublin's medieval town wall and ditch, is bounded by Lamb Alley to the east, Francis Street to the west and Dean Swift Square to the south. This area is thought to have been laid out in the 13th century, with medieval settlement along Francis Street. The redevelopment of the Iveagh Market and the development of a site at Nos 22–27 Francis Street are being carried out as an integrated project; however, two separate planning applications were made for the sites.
Two engineering test-pit trenches were opened in the former clothes market area on the east side of the building. One trench extended east-west, the other north-south. In each case no archaeological deposits of a sensitive nature were revealed. Early, pre-market red brick basements filled with loose rubble were emptied, the floor slab broken and the underlying soil exposed in places. In all instances it was low-grade, silty clay with very sparse inclusions of charcoal and no other obvious finds. Some of the backfill contained significant amounts of clay pipe stems and bowls.
Because of the location of the site within the town ditch, further archaeological investigation was recommended. This work was carried out by Franc Myles (see No. 202 Excavations 1999).
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
