County: Kilkenny Site name: KILKENNY: John’s Barrack Lane/Carnegie Library Carpark/Evans House/John’s Bridge Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0109
Author: John Channing
Site type: Historic town and Burial
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 651097m, N 656151m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.654145, -7.244788
The expansion of broadband communication in Kilkenny City necessitated monitoring of trench excavation at John’s Barrack Lane, Evans House, Carnegie Carpark and John’s Bridge Street, Kilkenny. The trench-cut differed from standard service trenches in its shallow depth, narrow width and ability to be easily varied in depth.
Two areas of archaeological interest were revealed. Firstly Barrack Lane produced evidence of truncated and disarticulated human bone fragments, together with one broken decorated stone and a possible truncated wall foundation. Secondly, there were remnants of cobbling outside the front of Evans House.
The grounds around Evans House contain several cut stone fragments that are most likely associated with St John’s Priory and its destruction. The occurrence of a cut/decorated stone in Barrack Lane is presumed to have a similar origin.
Bone fragments were noted in the base of the trench at the Evans House end of Barrack Lane. These appeared to be human and disarticulated. The trench depth was raised to pass over the remains, preserving them in situ. Several existing service trenches had previously been cut in this area and it is likely that these caused the truncation of skeletal material.
The possible wall footing was located at the Evans House end of Barrack Lane close to the existing arch and appeared to run at right angles to the line of the lane. The trench depth was raised to allow passage over the wall foundations.
The cobbling within the grounds of Evans House was preserved in situ by reducing trench depth. It may be contemporary with the Barracks, i.e. c. 1698.
Stratford-on-Slaney, Co. Wicklow
