2003:967 - NAAS: 6 Main Street South, Kildare

An assessment was carried out prior to the construction of an extension to the rear of 6 South Main Street, Naas. The site is located within the zone of archaeological potential associated with the town (SMR 19:30). The development includes the demolition of buildings to the rear of the site and construction of a new extension in their place. It also includes refurbishment of the existing building fronting onto South Main Street.

Two barrel-vaulted basements are present below the ground floor of the existing building and may be earlier than the standing structure, though they appear from the assessment to be integral to the main building. One of these contains a stone well. These basements are likely to be of late medieval/early post-medieval date and will not be impacted upon by the development.

The buildings to the rear were 18th/19th-century extensions to the main building and were demolished under archaeological supervision. Their meagre foundations were found to be resting directly on garden soils and other debris containing 18th- and 19th-century material.

A single test-trench was excavated along the length of the proposed extension. Natural boulder clay was exposed at a depth of 1m below post-medieval garden soils and rubble containing sherds of 18th/19th-century pottery. A single sherd of green-glazed late medieval ware (probably Irish) was also recovered. The remains of a brick wall were exposed at the east end of the trench and represented a continuation of the wall dividing the two barrel-vaulted basements. It extended a distance of 1m into the trench before terminating at the demolished back wall of the building in line with the steps leading to the basement. The presence of this red-brick wall would suggest that the basement is post-medieval in date. The proposed development will not impact on either basement. Standard strip foundations are to be employed for the proposed extension.

Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth