2002:1009 - KILKENNY: Evans Lane, Kilkenny

An assessment was carried out in compliance with a planning condition for a development of five apartments in a three-storey building within the archaeological zone of Kilkenny city. The site on Evans Lane backed onto what was originally the burgage plot of Rothe House but which was leased by the Office of Public Works as a yard and then by Kilkenny Corporation for a similar use. The wall dividing the two properties was called a ‘burgage wall’. The derelict buildings that occupied the site, along with the burgage wall, were demolished by the developer, citing health-and-safety concerns after a storm, and the stone was removed in February 2002.

Six trenches were dug along the lines of the foundations for the proposed development, and the most surprising feature of the site was the depth of rich dark topsoil. This measured 1.3m at the north-west corner of the site. The cross-walls of the 18th-/19th-century houses were built directly on top of the topsoil, without foundations.

There was a small cellar, c. 1m square, in the middle/rear of the site, abutting the burgage wall and filled with ash, broken slate and brick, rusty metal and much broken glass and pottery. This was all post-medieval. Animal bones were scattered throughout the topsoil, but nothing of archaeological significance was present.

These findings concur with those of Edmond O’Donovan (Excavations 1996, No. 206, 96E0076) and Paul Stevens (Excavations 1998, No. 347, 96E0363 ext.), who carried out assessments on sites a little further down the lane and found no evidence of archaeological soils, deposits or features.

Monitoring of the digging of foundation trenches was recommended during construction, but this has been delayed owing to legal action concerning the demolition of the burgage wall and the validity of the planning permission.

24 Talbots Inch Village, Kilkenny