County: Kilkenny Site name: KILKENNY: 15-16 Vicar Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E1901
Author: Emmet Stafford, Stafford McLoughlin Archaeology
Site type: Building
Period/Dating: Late Medieval (AD 1100-AD 1599)
ITM: E 650343m, N 656451m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.656909, -7.255888
Testing was undertaken by John Tierney at the site of a proposed hotel development at 15-16 Vicar Street in 2003 (Excavations 2003, No. 1028, 03E0707). This uncovered the remains of an early post-medieval structure at the site's Vicar Street frontage.
Following the demolition of modern structures at the site and the removal of modern overburden, further testing was carried out by Catherine McLoughlin in the spring of 2004 (No. 902, Excavations 2004). This confirmed the presence of the remains of a substantial masonry structure at the site's street frontage and uncovered archaeological deposits and features to the rear of this structure. The deposits and features appeared, on the basis of the artefacts retrieved, to date to the medieval and post-medieval periods.
Excavation of the deposits uncovered to the rear of the street-fronting structure was undertaken by the writer under an extension to licence 03E1901 in the summer of 2004. The excavation also revealed the floor plan of the street-fronting property.
The structure uncovered was a substantial two-celled rectangular building that appeared to be the remains of the 'Vicar's Choral', a late medieval building demolished in the modern period. The structure was constructed of mortar-bonded stone (mostly limestone) and was floored with a variety of ceramic tiles, bricks and stone flags and extended across the entirety of the street frontage of 15–16 Vicar Street. A smaller, single-roomed structure uncovered to the rear of the building appeared to be a later extension. Although the floor plan of the structure was largely uncovered, the building was not entirely excavated but was preserved in situ beneath the newly built hotel.
To the rear of the stone structure, modern buildings, foundations and a cellar had removed any archaeological stratigraphy that may have been at the same level as the structure. However, excavation in the area of the new hotel's basement revealed a series of medieval pits and stake-holes overlain by layers of possible flood deposits. A substantial stone-built wall with an L-shaped return was also uncovered in this area. Although the function of this structure was unclear, it did appear to be of at least early post-medieval date.
To the rear of the hotel's basement, in the area of a new carpark, layers of medieval and post-medieval silty deposits were preserved beneath the new development.
Enterprise Centre, Milehouse Road, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford
