2002:0923 - KILDARE: Árus Bhríde, St Brigid’s Square, Kildare

Planning permission, with a monitoring condition, was granted to extend and alter the existing Árus Bhríde parish centre building at Bride Street, Kildare. The site is within the zone of archaeological potential of Kildare.

Though not within the main monastic zone of the town, Bride Street may have been one of the approaches to the monastic foundation, and the southern limits of the monastic enclosure may have been situated in the area of the development site. The conjecture is made that the line of the town wall corresponds with the line of the north wall of Arús Bhríde.

There is a natural slope in ground level upward from west to east. This slope was levelled by the introduction of material 20–30 years ago. It was necessary to remove this material so that the floor level of the new building would match the floor level inside the existing building. Groundworks started with reduction of the existing ground level. This comprised the removal of the introduced material, which consisted of black soil with inclusions of building rubble and plastic. There was a large quantity of animal bone in the black soil all over the site.
The black soil layer became thinner eastward, so that at a point halfway across the site the underlying natural was exposed immediately under the surface. Natural comprised very mixed sand and gravel.

There was evidence of a good deal of disturbance. A large stone-filled soak-hole was exposed along the line of the northern wall. This was 2–3m wide. An ESB cable trench was apparent on the surface. This was c. 1m wide and became deeper as it crossed the site.

Three pits filled with ash and rubbish were exposed on the site. Some of these produced animal bone.

Archaeological material was not recognised either during ground reduction or during excavation for wall footings. There was no evidence of remains of the town wall.

Roestown, Drumree, Co. Meath