2004:0685 - GALWAY: Courthouse Lane, Galway

Pre-development testing was carried out between 20 and 26 February 2004 in the Druid Theatre in advance of its development at Courthouse Lane, Galway. It was necessary because the proposed development was located within the archaeological constraint for Galway city (SMR 94–100). The testing comprised the manual excavation of three trenches, which measured 3.7m, 1.8m and 2m long respectively, 0.9–1.8m wide and 0.5–0.9m deep (the proposed works varied in depth from 0.5m to 0.9m).

Below the concrete floor on the surface of all three trenches was found a rough red-brick surface, cobbles and rubble fill which contained modern artefacts. Within the rubble in Trench A was a grey compact redeposited boulder clay and a small drain constructed of red and yellow brick sides capped with slate and rubble. Below the rubble was a mid-brown friable sandy/silt loam that contained animal-bone fragments, shell, red-brick fragments, clay-pipe stems, a sherd of Saintonge and post-medieval and modern pottery sherds. Two rubble wall foundations were visible below the sandy silt loam in Trench B. The first was the foundation of the north-east wall of the building. The second foundation was located along the north-west side of the trench, at 0.55–0.6m below the surface. It extended 0.15–0.2m into the trench and two courses were visible. It also extended below the excavated depth of the trench.

The testing revealed evidence of modern activity associated with this 19th-century building. The artefacts recovered, except one sherd of Saintonge, were of modern and post-medieval date. The cobbles, rough red-brick surface and the drain feature in Trench A were most likely 19th-century in date, as were the two wall foundations, which were of similar appearance and dimensions.

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