2007:496 - DUBLIN: St Mark’s Church, Pearse Street, Dublin

It is proposed to refurbish the existing St Mark’s Church and build an extension further into the eastern churchyard (DU018–020(347)). This eastern part of the churchyard is currently used as a carpark. St Mark’s Church is located on low-lying ground that would originally have been marshy and subject to sporadic flooding. This land was probably reclaimed some time between the 17th and 18th centuries during the eastwards expansion of Dublin city. Cartographic and historical analysis suggests that, before the establishment of St Mark’s parish in 1708, the site was open ground. In addition, cartographic evidence gives no indication of any other building, apart from the church, on the site. Maps show that the boundary of St Mark’s churchyard has remained constant from the early 18th century to the present.

Church and parish records show that the churchyard of St Mark’s had been in use as a graveyard since the early 18th century. The parish was once one of the poorest and most densely populated in Dublin. Potentially large numbers of burials could exist in the area of proposed development.

In light of the high probability of archaeological material, especially human remains, existing on site, it was proposed that a series of five test-pits be dug in the eastern churchyard. Archaeological deposits containing human remains were encountered, below urban overburden, in each of the five test-pits at depths ranging from 2.053m to 1.442m OD. These were not investigated further.