2002:0505 - DALKEY: 62 Castle Street, Dublin

Testing was undertaken in November 2002, before development at 62 Castle Street, Dalkey. The site, measuring c. 40.4m north–south by 17.3–22.4m, is on the south-east corner of Castle Street (north) and Dalkey Avenue (west), adjacent to McDonagh’s pub (east), along the central historical artery of Dalkey village (SMR 23:23). A moderate natural gradient exists there, sloping down from south to north and more gently from east to west; levelling on the site has obscured this somewhat, but the gradient is more evident at the surface of the natural boulder clay. Before the start of testing, J. Jordan undertook an architectural assessment of the standing buildings formerly occupying the site.

In the 13th century the archbishop of Dublin controlled the archiepiscopal manor of Shankill, of which Dalkey was a part. The foundation date for Dalkey as a medieval borough is unknown. There are references to a bailiff in the mid-13th century, but it is as an ‘outport’ for Dublin that the town owes its prominence from the 14th–16th centuries. By the early 14th century Dublin Port was silting up, and the presence of a sand bar across the mouth of the Liffey prevented ships from entering the harbour at low tide. The ships sailed into the deep water surrounding Dalkey Sound to wait for the high tide that would allow them to enter Dublin, and, while there, they could also unload some or all of their cargo for road transportation to the city. The position of Dalkey Harbour 13km from the city, on the border of the Pale, made it vulnerable to Irish attack. There are many references to the O’Byrnes and the O’Tooles rebelling in the late 13th and the 14th century. Probably in response to this, and because of the significance of Dalkey as a port, the town was fortified at that time. Thomas (1992) refers to the town being defended by a rampart, or wall, and a moat on its southern side. There are also references to a gate on the western side of the town. Rocque’s map (1760) depicts seven castles in Dalkey. Most of these are likely to have been in existence from at least the later medieval era, possibly built by Dublin merchants as bases and warehouses (Thomas 1992).

Archaeological investigations have been carried out at various sites around Dalkey, near to the present development (e.g. by Declan Murtagh, Excavations 1996, No. 71, 96E0297; Malachy Conway, Excavations 1997, No. 94, 97E0076; Cia McConway, Excavations 1997, No. 95, 97E0297; Edmond O’Donovan, Excavations 1997, No. 98, 97E0364; Rónán Swan, Excavations 1997, No. 96, 97E0393; and Rob Lynch, Excavations 1998, No. 131, 98E0122).

Three main archaeological features were unearthed in three test-trenches (10.4m, 13m and 27m long, 1.5m wide, through overburden 0.24–0.5m deep). They included an east–west-oriented ditch (cut into natural boulder clay) and adjacent bank near the front of the site (4.7m from the street frontage, with their tops at 21.47m OD and 21.87m OD) and a single pit near the central back area of the site (36.7m from the street frontage, with its top at c. 23.2m OD because of the rise in the natural gradient). The bank and ditch bore a striking resemblance to an east–west bank and ditch excavated at the northern end of the site behind 59 Castle Street, dated to the 13th/14th century (Murtagh, op. cit.; McConway, op. cit.; Swan, op. cit.) The pit also has medieval/early post-medieval comparisons with that site. Several granite French drains of 18th-/19th-century date were also found; these are similar to drains found elsewhere along Castle Street (Lynch, op. cit.), and there are likely to be other structural remains of 18th-/19th-century date on the site. Full excavation of the archaeology down to natural boulder clay was recommended.

Reference
Thomas, A. 1992 The walled towns of Ireland (2 vols). Dublin.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin