County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 4–6 Ardee Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E1710
Author: Stephen J. Linnane, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Structure
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 715555m, N 732884m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.333573, -6.265037
The site is situated on the corner between the New Coombe Bypass and Ardee Street, The Coombe. The three terraced Georgian properties occupy the street frontage. Testing to the rear and south of these buildings revealed the presence of archaeological features and an excavation was undertaken.
To the south of the site, a series of eight timber tanning pits was excavated. The pits were in a row running from west to east and each measured c. 1.73m by c. 1.15m. The fill of the pits contained abundant quantities of horn cores and wood chips. The finds indicate that they went out of use in the early to mid-19th century. In the central section, an extensive sequence of walls was revealed dating from the early 19th century to the present. The wall sequence is currently being analysed.
To the north of the site was a sequence of three cobbled yard surfaces, each being separated by c. 1m of demolition rubble. The lowest surface dated to the early 19th century. Lying beneath the lowest cobbled surface was a series of features and deposits which are currently interpreted as the robbed-out foundations of a 17th-century structure. The features were cleaned but not excavated, as it is not yet known whether the proposed development will disturb the features and deposits.
Underlying all deposits throughout the area was a deep deposit of green clay containing occasional bone fragments. This deposit, seen elsewhere in the vicinity in the course of excavation, was identified as ploughsoil associated with agricultural activity prior to the area’s development.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
