County: Meath Site name: KELLS: Town Hall
Sites and Monuments Record No.: ME017-044 Licence number: 05E0276
Author: Sinéad Phelan, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 674301m, N 775840m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.726931, -6.874062
The excavation of two medieval pits took place on 29 March 2005 in advance of a proposed development at the rear of Kells Town Hall, in Headfort Place, Kells, Co. Meath, and monitoring that took place periodically from April to August. The Town Hall is located on the north side of Headfort Place within the zone of archaeological potential for Kells town. The building was originally designed by the architect William Caldbeck between 1852 and 1855 and was built for the National Bank. It is a tall, three-storey, five-bay building in the Italianate style with a curved curtain wall and carriage arch on each side. The building is a protected structure and is located within an architectural conservation area (Kells Development Plan 2001). As part of the proposed development of the site, the existing outbuildings were removed so as to accommodate the extension to the existing carpark at the rear.
Two pits of archaeological significance were identified as a result of assessments carried out to the rear of Kells Town Hall (see No. 1188, Excavations 2005, 04E1068 ext.). These pits can be dated to the 12th–14th century. The pits were sealed by a dark grey/brown organic clay topsoil with modern refuse cutting the natural clay.
27 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
