County: Louth Site name: DUNDALK: AIB Bank, 96 Clanbrassil Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 98E0456 ext.
Author: Rónán Swan, Arch-Tech Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 704731m, N 807370m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.004936, -6.402352
Excavation was undertaken at this site on behalf of Allied Irish Bank Plc. AIB is undertaking significant renovations to the existing bank on Clanbrassil Street. During the initial programme of testing (Excavations 1998, 148), a cobbled layer was identified. The objectives of the current programme were to attempt to elucidate the nature and date of that cobbled layer and to determine the nature of the deposit into which the cobbles were set.
Owing to safety considerations, it was not possible to excavate the entire area of the proposed extension; instead, it was decided to excavate a central area, 4m wide and 8m long, and to monitor any subsequent soil removal.
The stratigraphy revealed was consistent with that seen in the previous testing programme, i.e. rubble and backfill overburden, overlying a black layer, overlying a dump of stones, which in turn overlay a cobbled layer.
The stratigraphy demonstrates that the site has been extensively disturbed by recent activity, namely drainage and cellarage. This disturbance is further evidenced by the manner in which both medieval and post-medieval sherds of pottery were recovered from similar contexts (Sandes, unpublished). Environmental analysis of the deposits through which these drains were cut suggests that this was a garden belonging to the building fronting onto Clanbrassil Street (Plunkett, unpublished). The drains were cut through the cobbled layer (C4); nonetheless, this cobbling survived intact over much of the site.
The results of the environmental analysis indicate that the natural deposits were exposed for a period of time during the 17th century, which allowed for the deposition of the pinus pollen. The historical record for this particular area of Dundalk shows that it was subject to an intensive attack on at least one occasion during the 17th century. It is possible that, in the aftermath of these disturbances, this area were cleared and attempts were made to consolidate the area between Clanbrassil Street and the surrounding town ditch. This is supported from the archaeological record by the presence of pit features that may be interpreted as having a drainage function. The layer of cobbling was a subsequent effort at reconsolidation.
This programme of excavation has shown that the features identified in the initial testing programme may be dated to the latter part of the 17th century.
32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2
