County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Tara Tower Hotel, Merrion Road and Bellvue Avenue
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU023-053001- Licence number: 03E1407 and ext.
Author: Christine Baker, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: No archaeology found
Period/Dating: N/A
ITM: E 719802m, N 730656m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.312611, -6.202139
A number of test-trenches were excavated at this site as part of an assessment of proposed development works. The site is within the zone of archaeological potential for Merrion churchyard. The proposed development relates to the construction of a rear extension to the existing hotel on Merrion Road and to the construction of a single edifice, carpark and planting adjacent to the churchyard on Bellvue Avenue.
The initial excavation work (September 2003) was confined to the excavation of two trenches on the footprint of the proposed foundations of the extension to the hotel. These were excavated to the level of the underlying natural subsoil. Trench A measured 7.5m north–south by 0.9m by 2m deep; Trench B measured 5.1m north–south by 0.9m by 1.96m deep. The site had been very disturbed by the initial construction of the hotel, with the original garden soil identified at a depth of 0.8m below the current ground surface. No artefacts or stratigraphy of an archaeological nature were identified.
A second phase of testing was undertaken in October 2003. This took place in the vicinity of the carpark on Bellvue Avenue, which was beside the churchyard. A further five trenches were excavated. These ranged in length from 11 to 20m, and in depth from 1.2 to 2.3m. All were 1m in width. No artefacts or stratigraphy of an archaeological nature were identified.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
