2004:0830 - KILDARE: Claregate Street, Kildare

Test excavations took place between 16 and 20 February 2004 to assess the archaeological impact of a proposed development of two houses on the northern side of Claregate Street, Kildare. They are listed in the National Inventory of the Architectural Heritage (11817020) as being of local importance. Both structures were built c. 1880 and were remodelled c. 1970. Older buildings on site were evident on cartographic sources from 1757. The site lies near the ecclesiastical enclosure of the early medieval St Brigid's monastery, thought to be preserved in the Claregate Street outline (SMR 22:9(03)).

Testing was carried out at the rear of the buildings. Three north-south trenches were excavated to the invert level of proposed construction activity. Trench 2 was extended to a greater depth to check for possible ditch remains. Trench 1 was located against the western site boundary, Trench 2 ran across the centre of the site from the northern boundary and Trench 3 was located against the eastern site boundary.

Trench 1 measured 3.8m by 1m. The western edge of the trench was formed by a modern block wall and associated foundation cut. The trench revealed disturbance deposits caused by recent demolition works. This overlay subsoil and construction surfaces, which were at the southern end. At the north a pit was filled by dark-grey charcoal-stained silty clay, with occasional animal bone and a single sherd of brown-glazed post-medieval pottery.

Trench 2 measured 6.5m by 1m. Two layers of modern rubble and debris overlay mottled grey/brown sandy silt subsoil. At the northern end of the trench a rounded cut into subsoil was uncovered. It was 0.98m in diameter by 0.19m deep and was filled by fine dark-grey silt with random inclusions of pebbles. A sherd of blackware was found within. A straight-sided square cut, 1.1m by 1.1m, was recorded at the centre of Trench 2. This flat-bottomed feature was cut 0.74m into the subsoil. The fill was fine dark-grey silt with medium-sized stones and contained red brick and the base of a glass bottle. Both these features are interpreted as post-medieval pits/sumps. A pit was located at the south end of Trench 2 and ran beyond the trench on both sides. The feature had gently sloping sides with a maximum width of 1.32m.

The feature was not fully excavated but was investigated to a depth of 0.45m below the surrounding subsoil. The fill was a compact mix of charcoal, ash and grey silt with no finds.

Trench 3 measured 8m by 1.25m. The northern part of the trench revealed two layers of rubble similar to Trench 2. A ceramic sewer pipe ran east-west across the northern part of the cutting. The southern portion of the trench, bounded by walls F24 and F26, revealed a pit and two layers of mixed redeposited subsoil/garden material. The pit was located in the southern portion of Trench 3 against the western edge. It extended under wall F24 into the adjacent property and was not fully excavated. Surface cleaning revealed dark-brown silty clay with occasional charcoal flecks and animal bone.

The contractor indicated that the pit features uncovered in the trenches lay below the level of proposed construction.

Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny