County: Galway Site name: GALWAY: 8–14 Abbeygate Street Upper
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 94:100 Licence number: 00E0308
Author: Ken Hanley, on behalf of Archaeological Services Ltd.
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 529801m, N 725302m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.273400, -9.052455
A pre-development site investigation was carried out in two phases at the rear of Nos 8–14, Abbeygate Street Upper, Galway, on 27–8 May and 3–4 June 2000. The site is located within the medieval town walls and is clearly depicted on Gooche’s map of 1583, Speed’s map of 1610 and more precisely on the pictorial map of 1651. The proposed development incorporated the rear of property Nos 8 and 10 and No. 14 in its entirety.
Three test-trenches (A–C) were inserted in order to determine the presence of archaeological activity on site. Test-trenches A (c. 18m x 0.9m) and B (15.5m x 0.9m) were located parallel to each other and ran in a north-west/south-east direction across the middle and rear of the site. Test-trench C (23.3m x 0.9m) ran in a north-east/south-west direction through property No. 14. The trenches were excavated by JCB. Any features of archaeological potential were excavated by hand.
Overall, the test-trenches failed to reveal any evidence of widespread archaeological activity. The site was sealed by 0.1–0.4m of building debris, which produced an array of post-medieval/early modern/modern finds. This deposit did produce several fragments of architectural pieces of medieval date. These appear to have been reused within the fabric of later walls. Two parallel post-medieval foundation walls (C.5 and C.19) were identified running perpendicular to Test-trenches A and B. These were likely to have been a subdivision of, and subsequent development on, the open courtyard area at the rear of property Nos 8–14, as depicted on several 17th-century maps. Several pits (C.2, C.5, C.28 and C.33) of post-medieval date were also identified. A well-faced section of masonry (C.31), and an associated area of brick paving (C.32), in Test-trench C, appeared to have been a doorway or fireplace plinth. Most of the features cut directly into the natural, sandy subsoil (C.36).
A 1.1m-wide foundation wall (C.35) was exposed at the south-western end of Test-trench C (stratigraphically under property No. 14). This represented the south-eastern corner of a substantial house fronting onto Abbeygate Street. Testing failed to reveal any diagnostic dating evidence for the structure.
The site was revisited on 3 and 4 June 2000. An area 7m (south-east/north-west) by 3.6m was opened, encompassing the limestone wall. A more detailed examination of the structure revealed the foundation wall to be part of an 18th-century cellared building. Overall, testing suggested that the original medieval building on site had been destroyed by the insertion of a later, 18th-century cellared building. The rear courtyard area, depicted on several 17th-century plans, was also developed during the post-medieval period.
44 Eaton Heights, Cobh, Co. Cork
