2006:1064 - KILKENNY: 44–48 St Kieran’s Street, Kilkenny

In 2003 an assessment and test excavation was carried out at this site by the author (Excavations 2003, No. 1023). The site is located within the historic heart of medieval Kilkenny. The test excavation confirmed the presence of archaeological material from at least the 13th/14th century up to the 19th century.

In June 2006 engineers’ test-pits on this site were monitored as an extension to the existing licence. Four test-pits were excavated: three on a raised area with a retaining wall and one at the street front. The three test-pits on the raised area confirmed that the material behind the retaining wall is not archaeologically significant and consists mostly of redeposited soils, cobblestones, rubble and rubbish. Probable archaeology beneath the raised areas was found in one test-pit at a depth of 2.7m or c. 0.7m beneath the level of the carpark surface. This archaeology was c. 0.25m deep and consisted of a dark band of soil with wood. The archaeology beneath the raised area appears to be relatively shallow, getting deeper towards St Kieran’s Street. One test-pit reached the base of the boundary wall with St Mary’s graveyard, which appears to be c. 1.05m beneath the level of the carpark surface (c. 45.5m OD). The test-pit at the street front confirmed the presence of a stone wall facing St Kieran’s Street. This stone wall is probably the remains of the façade of buildings that formerly occupied the site and is highly likely to incorporate medieval fabric.