1999:835 - THURLES: The Munster Hotel, Cathedral Street, Tipperary

Excavation was carried out between February and March 1999 at the site of the Munster Hotel redevelopment, Thurles. The site measures 53m north-south by 24–28m and is on the southern side of Cathedral Street, opposite the site of the Carmelite friary, built in 1291–1300 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 29). Excavation was at the request of the developers, to facilitate the construction of a larger hotel building with basement on the same site.

The street-frontage area (Areas A and B) was found under 18th/19th-century and modern hotel buildings. It revealed archaeological features cutting natural, yellow boulder clay, 0.2m below the level of the present pavement, including the truncated beam-slots and post-holes of a square medieval structure, orientated south-east/north-west, over 7m long and 4.4m wide. A second, rectangular medieval structure was represented by a truncated informal hearth and measured over 11m east-west (continuing under the road outside the area of excavation to the north). In between these was a truncated medieval ironworking furnace. All three features were cut by a number of in-cutting east-west gullies and ditches, probably representing a formal widening and realignment of the main Dublin road.

Area C, 13–23m from the street frontage, contained an intense concentration of rubbish and cesspits dating to the medieval, later medieval, post-medieval and even early modern periods. Amongst them was a fine but undated stone-, cobble- and moss-lined square pit and an early modern limestone well. However, this area saw the most truncation by intrusive concrete foundations.

The southern portion of the site was represented by Areas D–F, between 23m and 52m from the street frontage. This southern area also revealed a high concentration of rubbish pits, including a pit lined with coppiced hazel and ash (identified by I. Stuijts), wickerwork, a rough limestone well and a stone wall footing. The last contained two sterling silver English pennies of Edward I, dated 1302–7 (identified by M. Kenny, NMI).

The southern half of the site was also cut by a number of north-south-running boundary ditches/ gullies, dividing the site into four long, linear burgage plots, dating to the medieval period. These burgage plots were 5.5–6m wide to the east and 15m wide to the west. The western plots appeared far wider than the eastern two. However, there was also some evidence to suggest that the two westernmost plots had originally been one and were subdivided in the later medieval or early post-medieval period.

The rear 10m of the site (Area F) was sealed by 0.8m of garden topsoil and contained an unusual and undated multiple dog burial (two adults and a juvenile), within a north-south linear gully and marked by post-holes extending south into the baulk. This area also contained medieval pits and gullies continuing beyond the area of excavation. An extension to the east of Area F (Area G) revealed no further evidence of archaeological features east of the fourth north-south burgage plot gully.

The excavation produced a large assemblage of local and imported pottery from the medieval period onwards, as well as animal bone, glass, leather and rope (from early modern contexts), clay pipe and handmade brick. However, the best find from the site was a Class 3b (after Deevy 1998) gilt-edged silver ring brooch.

The results of this excavation show near-continuous, if heavily truncated, occupation on the site from at least the early 13th century, around the time of the foundation of the Carmelite friary opposite. It also indicates evidence for a relatively wealthy and semi-industrial eastern suburb to the medieval town, referred to as 'Brogmal' in the 17th century (Simington 1931, 385–8; Bradley 1985, 54; Carey and Farrelly 1985, 85), but it does not rule out the possibility of a twin town as suggested by Thomas (1992, 192–3).

References
Bradley, J. 1985 The medieval towns of Tipperary. In W. Nolan (ed.), Tipperary: history and society, 34–59. Dublin.
Carey, H. and Farrelly, J. 1985 The Urban Archaeological Survey of County Tipperary North Riding, Parts 1 & 2. Dublin.
Deevy, M. 1998 Medieval ring brooches in Ireland. Bray.
Gwynn, A. and Hadcock, R.N. 1970 Medieval religious houses: Ireland. Dublin.
Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1931–4 The Civil Survey AD 1654–1656. County of Tipperary, vol. 1.
Thomas, A. 1992 The walled towns of Ireland. Dublin.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin