2002:1785 - DUNGARVAN: Church Street, Waterford

Pre-development testing of the site of the former Mercy convent building on Church Street, Dungarvan, revealed extensive medieval remains surviving just beneath the surface. The development at Church Street comprises ten townhouses in two blocks. The main block of eight houses is along the eastern boundary of the site, fronting onto Church Street, with parking and access to the rear. The smaller block of two houses is in the north-west corner of the site. Trenches were initially excavated by machine and then finished by hand.

Trench 1, measuring 6m north–south by 2m, was in the area of the smaller block of houses and revealed general garden soil over natural. A linear feature containing finds of late 18th- to early 19th-century date was recorded cutting the soils. The area is in what was the formal garden of the Mercy convent. The linear feature may represent gardening activity associated with this.

Trench 2, measuring 23m north–south by 2m, was along the eastern boundary of the development site. Once the trench was opened by machine, selected areas (Trench 2A–C) were investigated closely.

Trench 2A was at the southern end of Trench 2. A large mass of mortar-bonded masonry, probably part of the former convent buildings, was removed. It had cut into archaeological deposits. Several pits of varying size and a patch of burning were uncovered. The largest pit was irregularly shaped and measured 1.5m north–south by 1.5m. It contained two fills. The upper was a midden fill of dark brown, silty clay and shells of cockle, periwinkle and oyster, with frequent charcoal. The lower fill was mid-brown sandy clay with moderate amounts of shell and cobble-like stones that may have been intended as a lining. Five sherds of green-glazed medieval pottery were recovered from this section.

Trench 2B was at the centre of Trench 2. Rubble overburden and a layer of 19th-century yard cobbles were removed. Beneath these was a series of substantial archaeological fills. A sequence of three broad layers was recorded in section. A firm clay surface of post-medieval, possible late 17th- to early 18th-century date, was uppermost. Next was a firm, orange/mid-brown, silty clay layer with a mixed charcoal and clay band running through it; this layer produced a single sherd of pottery of possible late 17th-century date. The lowest fill was a substantial layer of firm, mid-brown, silty clay that contained occasional sandstone, shale and shell and produced a piece of 17th-century clay-pipe stem and a sherd of medieval pottery.

Trench 2C was at the northern end of Trench 2. The sediments uncovered here were the same as Trench 2B, with archaeology in the form of pits and layers occurring at c. 0.4m below ground level. The foundation of the east wall of the convent building was uncovered in the western arm of Trench 2C. It was not removed and appeared to have been substantial, reaching a depth of 1m.

The findings in Trench 2 represented a surviving medieval streetscape. After consultation, it was agreed that the archaeological material would be further cleaned and recorded in detail before being preserved in situ. This work was carried out after the transfer of this licence to John Tierney.

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