County: Dublin Site name: DUBLIN: 35–39 Usher’s Quay
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DU018–020 Licence number: 05E1363
Author: Franc Myles, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Quay and Tannery
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 714552m, N 734197m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.345583, -6.279611
The site extended back to the south from the quays, occupying approximately 40% of the block formed by the quays, Usher Street and Bridgefoot Street. The assessment involved the mechanical excavation of five test-trenches across the site and was carried out in March 2006.
The site is located west of the walled city on what was referred to as Usher’s Island prior to its supposed reclamation in the 1680s. The results of the assessment confirmed that the area was indeed reclaimed from the river, but the artefacts recovered from the reclamation material suggest that this activity may have taken place somewhat later, or that it was at least still continuing into the early years of the 18th century.
The trenches were excavated to natural river silts, the upper surface of which was located at 4.4–4.6m below the surface, where the then ground surface was located at 3.5–4m OD. In most locations, the silts were sealed by a deposit of grey clay, which underlay the organic reclamation material. Over this was a significant build-up of various deposits of no, or marginal, archaeological interest. An area of tanning pits was recorded in the centre of the site and one of the trenches truncated a mid-18th-century latrine pit to the rear of the properties on Usher Street.
The construction works for the proposed development included a 3m bulk excavation of the site footprint, which impacted on the upper levels of the reclamation material. This was monitored and nothing further was noted, apart from a vein of pure sand at the very bottom of the excavated area.
27 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
