County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Fruit and Vegetable Market, Chancery Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0710
Author: Emmet Stafford for IAC Ltd.
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 715120m, N 734381m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.347113, -6.271020
As part of an assessment undertaken on behalf of Dublin Corporation, five test-trenches were excavated within the confines of a carpark to the south of Dublin Corporation’s fruit market. This work was undertaken between 24 August and 2 October 2001.
The testing uncovered large numbers of 18th- and 19th-century basements throughout the area. Below the basements a substantial layer of reclamation gravels was uncovered in most of the trenches.
Although no datable artefacts were recovered from this reclamation layer a substantial clay deposit, possibly riverine, appears to abut the gravels throughout the western half of the site. Large amounts of domestic debris, including one medieval pottery sherd and two fragmentary leather shoes, were recovered from this deposit.
The testing does not suggest that this material represents the medieval Liffey; rather it may be a tributary or small harbour. Worked timbers recovered from the reclamation layers above the clay may represent a revetment of these gravels rather than a quay wall.
Whatever the nature of these deposits, it is clear that they are substantial and exceed a depth of 4m below present ground level. Further groundworks as part of Dublin Corporation’s assessment of the archaeological potential of this area may reveal the exact nature of their origin.
8 Dungar Terrace, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
