2002:1763 - THURLES: Croke Street, Tipperary

Monitoring of the excavation of foundation trenches was carried out at Croke Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. The site, on the eastern side of Croke Street, is within the zone of archaeological potential as outlined in the Urban Archaeological Survey. The development proposal involved demolishing the buildings on the site and constructing a larger retail unit with car-parking facilities to the rear. Testing of the site had been carried out by John Tierney as part of an assessment (Excavations 2001, No. 1231, 01E0542). However, the locations of the foundations for the new building were not tested, as the demolition of the old structures had not taken place, so the assessment recommended that all groundworks associated with the development be monitored. Seven foundation trenches were excavated for the development.

Although historical research pointed to the possibility of finding the enclosing wall of the medieval town of Thurles, no evidence of medieval activity was discovered on the site. The sediments removed from the foundation trenches were mainly relatively modern or late post-medieval. Only one context showed any likelihood of being earlier, and this was inconclusive: a layer of rubble that may be the remnants of a demolished wall. It was in the centre of the site and consisted of limestone blocks held within dark brown/black, mortar-enriched clay. It was 0.9m deep. The average dimensions of the stones were 0.22m by 0.1m by 0.08m. No coursing was evident, but the wall may have been demolished to create a level ground surface. It is possible that any medieval layers were removed at the time of the construction of the original retail unit. At the eastern end of the site, under the upper modern layers, the sediments were largely natural.

Unit 2F, Dungarvan Business Park, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford