County: Kilkenny Site name: KILKENNY: 19 and 19A Dean Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KK019-026 Licence number: 04E0309
Author: Tom Rogers, Moore Ltd.
Site type: House - 19th century
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 650181m, N 656258m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.655189, -7.258315
Two 19th-century terraced buildings, Nos 19 and 19A Dean Street, Kilkenny, formerly a pub and a pharmacy, were the subject of an archaeological and architectural survey by Sarah Halpin of Moore Ltd. Both were proposed for demolition ahead of the construction of a medical centre. It was recommended that monitoring of the demolition should be followed by testing of the site.
The walls were largely of rough rubble construction, comprising an assortment of materials in a lime mortar. Eight fragments of architectural interest were recovered from the walls of the two properties and the adjacent yard wall, seven following demolition. A ninth was lying loose in the yard. These were all cut or decorated to some degree and are considered to be reused medieval building fragments. They include part of a small arch, three-chamfered window jambs and a stone with a recess for a hinge.
Following demolition, four trenches were excavated on the footprint of the proposed medical centre using an excavator fitted with a toothless grading bucket. Topsoil containing relatively modern pottery and much animal bone sealed natural river deposits. To the west of the site the topsoil was over 1m deep and some columns of sand could be seen in section. It is suggested that sand may have been taken from this area for building purposes. No foundations or any other evidence of previous buildings were uncovered.
Corporate House, Ballybrit Industrial Estate, Galway
