2002:0965 - NAAS: Poplar Square, Friary Road, Kildare

An assessment was required before a proposed development. The site is south-east of Poplar Square on Friary Road and comprises the present Lawlors Hotel, two adjoining buildings and rear yard areas, and a carpark to the south. The site is within the zone of archaeological potential of Naas town. The Urban Archaeological Survey suggests that the medieval town fortifications of Naas may have crossed the eastern part of the site. The site of a castle known as Eustace Castle is clearly depicted on the larger-scale 1871–2 OS town plan as occupying the south-western corner of the proposed site; also indicated is the possible presence of medieval burgage plots within the area of the development.

Eight trenches were opened on the footprint of the proposed development. Four were excavated to the rear of Lawlors Hotel, in the garden area. A cut for a large ditch was exposed at the eastern end of Trench 1 and the eastern end of Trench 4. The full width of this ditch was not exposed in Trench 1 as the trench could not be extended any farther eastward without danger of destabilising the existing boundary wall. The exposed section of the ditch was 4m wide and 1.25m deep. In Trench 4 the cut for the ditch was c. 5m wide at the top and 3m toward the base; it had a depth of c. 1.4m.

These findings confirm the location of the town boundary as indicated on the Urban Archaeological Survey. No finds were recovered from the fill of the ditch in Trenches 1 and 4, and therefore the only dating evidence for this feature is from documentary and cartographic sources. No other features of archaeological significance were noted in these trenches. No features of archaeological significance were noted in Trenches 2 and 3.

Four test-trenches were also excavated in the carpark to the south of Lawlors Hotel. Trench 7 was opened at the eastern end of the carpark. The truncated remains of a ditch were exposed, aligned with the ditch exposed in Trenches 1 and 4. The ditch survived to a maximum depth of 0.9m and a maximum width of 3.5m. It is more than likely that this ditch is also part of the old town boundary, which probably survives across the rear of the carpark. No other archaeological deposits or features were exposed in this trench.

Trenches 5, 6 and 8 were opened to establish whether there were any surviving remains of Eustace Castle in the western area of the carpark. The trenches revealed that much modern disturbance had occurred; several previous trenches had been excavated to lay pipes and cables across the area.

Despite modern disturbance, there was evidence suggesting that archaeological deposits survived in this area. Three features of possible archaeological significance were exposed at the western end of Trench 5. One was part of a rubble wall with mortar that had been covered on its surface with a layer of cement. Also revealed was a deposit of organic soil with fragments of flat stones, possibly part of an old surface. This extended eastward over a distance of c. 9m, 0.4m below present ground level. A rubble feature exposed on the north section close to this deposit may be the remains of a rubble core for a thick wall; there is a possibility that this feature is associated with Eustace Castle.

A possible archaeological layer was exposed at the western end of Trench 8, c. 0.4m below present ground level. This layer was visible across the width of the trench and extended from the western end of the trench eastward for c. 3.5m. The layer appeared to represent an old surface, as patches of cobbling were evident; these cobbles were set in an organic layer of dark brown, sandy clay with frequent charcoal flecks. A partially exposed linear feature of angular stones was also visible directly on top of the cobbling.

A thick wall feature was also exposed in Trench 8; it had a thick layer of mortar and red-brick fragments on its upper surface. Cartographic analysis suggests that 19th-century buildings existed at this location. The visible part of the walls encountered in this trench had the appearance of 18th- or 19th-century construction. It is possible that this wall was part of Eustace Castle but has been modified and altered in later times. No finds were recovered to date these features.

The evidence from the eastern ends of Trenches 5 and 8 suggests that there is very little, if any, archaeological material in the middle area of the carpark.

32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2