County: Dublin Site name: CHAPELIZOD: The Island/Martin’s Row
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0878
Author: Claire Walsh
Site type: Mill - unclassified
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 710176m, N 734526m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.349467, -6.345187
Test excavation of a large development site in the centre of Chapelizod began in late February 2002. The site was formerly a flax mill, then the Phoenix Park Distillery, and latterly an industrial park, with recent buildings. Clearance of late deposits was carried out after demolition. Late industrial features were recorded to archaeological standard and cleared mechanically.
The underlying strata consisted of a mill-race and a drystone mill undercroft, which extended the full width of the site. The mill was well preserved, and the stone construction extended to a length of almost 30m. The undercroft was constructed of rectangular blocks of stone, while the tail-race was faced roughly with rubble blocks. The mill had been reconstructed on possibly three occasions. It dates to perhaps the late 10th–11th century (a 14C date is awaited). No finds of distinction were recovered from the fill, which consisted mainly of naturally deposited silts and peat formations. On completion of the excavation, all of the masonry was left in situ, and a pile layout was designed to preserve the structure in situ.
Further features probably contemporary with the mill include a series of ditches that extended downslope perpendicular to the mill-race. These have been interpreted as agricultural divisions. Later occupation consisted of plot divisions, with metalled pathways between rectangular structures. These followed the angle of the earlier agricultural ditches and are of probable 11th-century date. Industrial activity is indicated by large-scale deposits of slag, furnace bases and smithing-hearth bases.
Scant deposits from the Anglo–Norman period survived on-site. Hut floors and stabilising deposits overlay the infilled mill-race. The orientation of the mill-race is reflected in the positioning of the medieval church and the angle of some of the laneways on the northern side of Chapelizod.
The medieval mill sites, which are well documented, appear to have been moved further upriver, as indicated on the Down Survey map.
The results of this excavation revealed an existing and ordered settlement in Chapelizod before the Anglo-Norman invasion. The mill would have supported a population of around 100.
Dating of the different phases of activity on the site is awaited.
A full publication of the excavation results will follow.
27 Coulson Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin 6
