County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: Labour Exchange, Werburgh Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU018-020617 Licence number: —
Author: Sinéad Phelan, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Town defences
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 715210m, N 733887m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.342658, -6.269849
Unlicensed monitoring of the demolition of a derelict Victorian red-brick building was carried out as part of the proposed redevelopment of the Labour Exchange, a modern building which is to be retained and reused in the new development. The Victorian building is located within the site of the existing Labour Exchange on the south-western boundary of the site. However, the southern gable sits directly on the medieval city wall. The site lies to the east of Hoey's Court, which fronts onto Werburgh Street.
Prior to the erection of the scaffolding the area was cleared of large buddleia bushes that were growing in cracks in the masonry, splitting the joints. The buddleia was cut back and the roots poisoned with a biocide.
The medieval southern face of the wall was protected by a timber (plywood) frame during the construction works. This prevented masonry from hitting the wall. The red-brick gable was taken down manually to the level of the existing stretch of wall along the eastern side to maintain a continuous level, at c. 13.77mm OD, which extends as far east as Dublin Castle. The lower foundation course of brick, 2m in height, will remain in situ beneath the gable to be removed and this will act as a buffer for the medieval masonry below. The retained brick section included the lower levels of the window jambs of the Victorian building. These opes were filled in with salvaged Victorian brick in order to preserve the remnants of that building phase within the wall face.
27 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
