2003:519 - DUBLIN: 5/5a Crown Alley, Temple Bar, Dublin

A testing programme was undertaken to establish the presence of any archaeological deposits within the upstanding buildings. The site is located within an area reclaimed from the River Liffey c. 1600 and subsequently developed in the late 17th century. Four test-pits (average dimensions 1.6m north–south by 1.75m, and 2m in depth) were excavated by hand, their location constrained by the layout of the building. A series of walls which reflected the development of the site throughout the 18th and 19th centuries were identified. Three well-built stone walls correspond to Rocque’s 1756 map. Artefacts recovered were confined to pan tile and a range of pottery consistent with the historical development of the area.