County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Thorncastle Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0744 ext.
Author: Redmond Tobin, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Riverine revetment
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 717942m, N 734160m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.344506, -6.228735
Testing was carried out on 27 and 28 March 2001, under an extension to the original licence, in accordance with planning requirements placed on a development on the site and recommendations contained in a previous report. Further testing was required as the earlier assessment, carried out in October 2000, did not satisfactorily assess the archaeological potential of this site, being limited in its scope by the presence of standing buildings. The archaeological results were assessed through reopening the engineering test-pits over the site.
Five trenches were opened. This second phase of testing was to assess the inland portion of the site for possible archaeological features. The results of the test-trenches support the conclusions of the previous assessment, showing conclusively that the whole area has been reclaimed. It would appear that reclamation on this site commenced in the late 18th century with the construction of the South Wall, followed by further reclamation during the development of the Grand Canal Docks, which were completed and opened in 1796. The Ballast Office records the dredging of 1,621 tons of material from the Liffey in 1785, and this must have included material deposited by the River Dodder as a sand bar across the channel of the Liffey. Both the historical and archaeological evidence agree that this area was a focus for reclamation and subsequent development.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
