County: Tipperary Site name: CLONMEL: 15 Wolfe Tone Street
Sites and Monuments Record No.: TS083-019 Licence number: 04E01463
Author: Mary Henry, Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd.
Site type: House - medieval
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 620042m, N 622414m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.352955, -7.705789
Monitoring was undertaken to the rear of No. 15 Wolfe Street, Clonmel. Works were undertaken pursuant to granted planning permission to excavate a fire exit opening into the basement of the property. Wolfe Tone Street is inside the medieval walled town of Clonmel.
The area monitored measured 3.8m by 1.8m and 2.4m deep. The upper 1m of ground comprised loose infill with building rubble beneath. In the northern part of the excavated area a wall was encountered extending north-south along the eastern baulk of the excavation edge and continuing beneath its northern baulk. Part of the wall had been highly disturbed. It was found 1.83m below ground level and had an exposed height of 1.3m and measured 0.2m wide. Constructed of random coursed sandstone with a rubble core, it was bonded with a highly silicate clay with water-rolled pebbles. This bonding agent appears to be very similar to localised riverine deposits on the banks of the River Suir. It was only possible to view its west face, which comprised stones measuring 0.2–0.25m long by 0.1–0.15m deep. A dark-greyish-brown loamy clay was deposited on the western side of the wall. It was quite gritty and contained small flecks of charcoal. This material was very loose and resembled a well-worked, organic-rich garden soil. It sealed a stone rubble layer with frequent voids in between the stone. The wall was preserved in situ, as it was strongly suspected to be of medieval date. It was thought to be the remains of a medieval stone house within the walled town where the wealthier English settlers lived.
17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
