2003:479 - DALKEY: 46–47 Castle Street, Dublin

On 12–13 March 2003 testing and subsequent monitoring of groundworks was undertaken on a development site at 46–47 Castle Street. Demolition works had commenced prior to testing and bedrock was exposed less than 0.1m below present ground level in parts of the north and centre of the site. The south of the site had been much disturbed and up to 0.72m of ground had been removed down to natural boulder clay. Two test-trenches were opened in the east of the site, but no archaeological material was identified in these.

The stratigraphy in the south of the site comprised 0.35m of post-medieval garden clay, and 0.1m of redeposited natural overlying a small area of medieval garden soil (2m east–west by 0.45m). This had been truncated by previous demolition works and by the laying of sewerage pipes. The medieval horizon was 0.15m deep and was excavated by hand. It was greyish-brown clay with frequent inclusions of seashells (oyster and periwinkle), occasional inclusions of charcoal and animal, bird and fish bones. Numerous sherds of medieval pottery, most of which were of local manufacture, were recovered from this soil.

During the construction programme, the remains of a north–south granite structure (5.4m wide) were revealed in the centre of the site. The structure, which is depicted on the 1847 OS map, was removed but the southern gable was left in situ. This gable wall was inspected and surveyed by Linzi Simpson and Kevin Weldon, who concluded that it had at least three different phases, all of which were post-medieval in date. A collection of granite boulders in the east of the site, directly beneath a wall projecting from the east of the gable, were deposited in the medieval period and were probably used as a foundation, boundary or fill deposit. A second, smaller, collection was also revealed at the western side of the site. This gable wall remains intact.

2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin