County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 8 Chancery Lane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1694
Author: Claire Walsh
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 715249m, N 733764m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.341543, -6.269308
Testing was undertaken at a site at 8 Chancery Lane on 20 and 23 November 2002. The site is in an area of relatively high archaeological sensitivity. It lies between the churches of St Michael le Pole and St Brigid, to the south of the medieval town on a route into it. There is evidence of early Norse activity, including burials (some isolated and some accompanied), in the vicinity.
Two trenches were excavated by machine. Their location was limited by the buildings that occupied the site and live services to the buildings. However, the areas selected showed contrasting soil profiles.
Archaeological soils were uncovered in the trench on the east of the site, of 13th–15th-century date and up to 0.75m deep. They were overlain by c. 0.5m of post-medieval soils. Cellars were constructed on top of the later layer. The deposits here were deep and extended to over 4m below present ground level. Subsoil occurred at c. 7m OD.
No archaeological deposits were uncovered in the trench on the west of the site. Subsoil was reached at 2.8m below present ground level (c. 8.4m OD).
No features were uncovered in the subsoil. This was exposed for the entire length of Trench 2 on the west of the site and for a localised area, c. 1.5m by 1m, in Trench 1.
Further trenching when the standing buildings are demolished will determine the extent of deposits on-site. An excavation of the lift shaft on the eastern side of the site will be required. Any archaeological deposits present on the western side of the site will also require excavation.
27 Coulson Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin 6
