County: Dublin Site name: SMITHFIELD: Coke Lane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0246
Author: Ian W. Doyle, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: House - 19th century, House - 20th century and Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 714567m, N 734331m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.346784, -6.279337
Coke Lane is a narrow, east–west-running lane to the north of Arran Quay and to the south of Arran Quay Terrace. Queen Street runs to the west of the site, while Smithfield market is immediately north-east of Coke Lane. At present the Coke Lane site is occupied by three separate buildings of 19th/20th-century date. In the recent past the dividing walls between the buildings were removed to create one large structure. The present site occupies the space at the rear of properties 35–37 Arran Quay.
Three trenches were opened in April and May 2000. Trench A was located in the south-western part of the existing structure, for which a basement was proposed. A series of loosely compact, mid-brown clays with mortar and slate fragments were observed to a depth of 2.5m below the present ground surface. It is likely that these deposits indicate a backfilled basement. A layer of black, silty, organic clay was detected below this depth. Excavation ceased at this level.
Trench B was located in the middle part of the existing structure, adjacent to the Coke Lane street frontage. Sandy clays and rubble deposits were observed in this trench to a depth of 1.2m below the existing surface. These deposits sealed a series of compact, silty clays containing occasional fragments of red brick, animal bone and sherds of 17th- and 18th-century pottery. At a depth of 2.5m below the existing surface, a mixed, brown, organic clay was revealed. This contained a sherd of Frechen stoneware pottery. At a depth of 2.7m below the existing surface a black, sandy gravel with a marked organic content, redbrick and animal bone inclusions was revealed. This contained sherds of North Devon slipware and clay pipe fragments. Excavation ceased at a depth of 3.1m below the present ground level.
Trench C was opened in the westernmost building of the site. This was excavated to a depth of c. 1.3m below present ground level, at which point a series of walls, drains and cobbled surfaces was detected. Excavation ceased at this level.
Further archaeological work was recommended should the proposed development proceed.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
