2005:996 - SARSFIELD STREET, KILMALLOCK, Limerick

Testing of a proposed development playground site at Castlecourt, Sarsfield Street, Kilmallock, was carried out as part of an impact assessment. The proposed development consisted of the construction of a playground on a greenfield site adjacent to and within the standing medieval town wall. Five trenches were excavated on the site within the proposed development area. These revealed the presence of a number of potential archaeological features, encountered at depths ranging between 1.1–1.95m below present ground level, and all appeared to cut the natural boulder clay. They generally consisted of linear trenches, including one large ditch-like feature, and shallow pits. A lack of datable finds from the majority of the features uncovered makes it difficult to assign them to any particular period, although it is possible that at least some of them may be medieval in date. Previous excavation of an adjacent site at the rear of Shears Street by Meriel McClatchie in 2000 revealed similar features dating to the medieval and post-medieval period (Excavations 2000, No. 587, 00E0305).