County: Limerick Site name: LIMERICK: Carr Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0852
Author: Tracy Collins, Ægis Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 557906m, N 657172m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.664098, -8.622273
Pre-development testing was undertaken in a modern carpark close to the city centre in October 2001. Six trenches were excavated in an area enclosed by four walls, one of which is an extant portion of the medieval town wall of Limerick. While it is very altered on its interior face, it retains much of its true character on its external face, and even retains two corbels, which once would have been part of a machicolation, at its northern end. The trenches uncovered six walls, the plans of which tie into the walls of buildings that are marked on the 1938 edition map and that appear to be warehouses. No artefacts were recovered.
Maps by Hardiman (dated to 1590) and by Speed (1611) show that the area was vacant and it was mentioned as being enclosed gardens in the medieval period. After the sieges the town defences were demolished and this area was opened up for commercial development, such as warehousing. It is possible that the area may have been built on immediately and this would account for the lack of medieval remains on the site.
16 Avondale Court, Corbally, Limerick
