2002:0529 - DUBLIN: 161–168 Church Street/3–15 Hammond Lane, Dublin

The triangular site (measuring 115m east–west by 58m on the east side, narrowing to 7m wide on the west) lies in the northern suburb known in the medieval period as Oxmantown. It is c. 50m to the south of St Michan’s Church, along the medieval route called Hangman’s Lane (Hammond Lane), which originally led to the gallows at Oxmantown Green. Previous excavations to the south of the site have revealed the remains of a quay wall, a herring fishery and a timber-lined water channel dating to the mid-13th century. Alan Hayden tested the site previously, before the demolition of the existing buildings (Excavations 2000, No. 250, 00E0504), and found the remains of a possible medieval ditch, as well as substantial medieval soil deposits. The present assessment was carried out after demolition in February/March 2002.

The assessment consisted of ten test-trenches excavated by machine. An additional area, measuring 5m by 5m, was then opened by hand along the northern side of the site. The results confirmed the presence of an irregular 13th-/14th-century watercourse feature, which extended along the northern frontage of the site (closest to the church of St Michan). This was 3.5–8m wide and 0.5–1.1m deep, with steeply sloping sides and a flat bottom. It was edged in stone in the late 17th century before being finally culverted in brick in the 18th century.

Deposits of garden soil were found to extend across the entire site, averaging 1m deep and sealed by 2m of post-medieval deposits (3.6–0.74m OD). The lower levels of the medieval soils contained pottery, animal bone and shell, and various linear gullies and pits were identified, cut into subsoil level. The survival of at least two late 17th-century cellars suggests that the post-medieval horizon is also well preserved on-site, especially in the central area.

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