County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 14 Ormond Quay/11–14 Strand Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0964 ext.
Author: Christine Baker, Teresa Bolger and Abi Cryerhall, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 715423m, N 734317m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.346472, -6.266496
An assessment and programme of monitoring of temporary groundworks was undertaken by Christine Baker and Abi Cryerhall in July and August 2003 at a development site at 14 Ormond Quay/11–14 Strand Street, Dublin 2. This established the presence of structural remains dating from the 18th and 19th century overlying deep deposits of land reclamation material (No. 562, Excavations 2003).
The new building will form an extension to the Morrison Hotel, Ormond Quay. The facade and front section of No. 14 Ormond Quay have been retained. The southern section of the new building is supported on a piled foundation, with a basement in the northern section supported by a secant pile wall.
An excavation was carried out at the site in September 2003 by Teresa Bolger, followed by monitoring of groundworks. The excavation was divided into two areas. Area A was in the north-east quadrant of the site. It measured a maximum of 12.75m by 6.75m and was excavated to a maximum depth of –0.996 OD. Area B was in the south-east quadrant of the site and measured 14m by 6m at its widest point. It was an L-shaped trench, the horizontal part of the L being at its northern end. This part of the trench was excavated to the level of natural geological strata, c. –0.7 OD. The long narrow part of the L, at its southern end, was not excavated to natural for safety reasons. Two main phases of activity were identified in both areas.
The earliest phase of activity appears to relate to 17th-century land reclamation. The land-reclamation deposits at the site were mainly characterised by deep layers of compact redeposited natural clays. In addition to a range of 17th-century pottery types, these deposits also produced a selection of medieval floor tiles, including examples of plain mosaic, two-colour, line-impressed and relief tiles.
The second phase of activity was characterised by structural remains associated with the applotment of the site, in the late 17th/early 18th century, for commercial and residential use.
The remaining groundworks at the site are the subject of ongoing monitoring.
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