2002:1934 - WEXFORD: Shaw’s, 62–68 Main Street North, Wexford

The site consisted of a 26m frontage area at North Main Street, extending east toward Commercial Quay for a distance of 80m. Testing after the demolition of the standing buildings indicated the survival of extensive archaeological horizons adjacent to the street-frontage area. Two foundation pits (for temporary structural supports) were manually excavated, and the results confirmed the findings from the initial testing. Before construction, an area of 100m2 adjacent to the street frontage was excavated starting in August 2002. Archaeological involvement with the development continued into 2003, and a full report will be given in Excavations 2003.

The stratigraphy at the site revealed a profile of reclamation, ensuing settlement and the continuing consolidation of the evolving environment. Evidence of the accrual of flood-borne silts and domestic rubbish indicated that by the late 12th century successful land reclamation had allowed for settlement close to the present-day Main Street. Post-and-wattle fences aligned east–west and extending toward the river indicated that the reclaimed land was being used on a number of plots along the riverside. The plots are likely to have been projections of properties farther west, and they correspond in alignment to the existing boundary divisions on the opposing (west) side of Main Street. The existence of four contemporaneous hearth sites indicates that the new land was used initially for industrial purposes. The intensity of estuarine silts and gravels within subsequent organic silt accumulations implies that the area remained prone to flooding for some time. By the mid-13th century, however, a stone-built house/warehouse was constructed adjacent to the foreshore. The structures date from the 13th century and underwent many modifications until their demolition in the 17th century. As well as stone-built exterior walls, internal divisions, paved interior surfaces and hearth sites of both a domestic and an industrial nature were recorded. Evidence of contemporaneous street surfaces was also revealed in the excavated area, corresponding to medieval street surfaces previously exposed (underlying the existing Main Street) during monitoring of the Main Drainage Scheme (licence 95E0254).

Hillview, Aglish, Carrigeen, South Kilkenny