County: Kerry Site name: 11 Denny Street, Tralee
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KE029–119 Licence number: 07E0645
Author: Laurence Dunne and Tony Bartlett, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, 3 Lios Na Lohart, Ballyvelly, Tralee, Co. Kerry.
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 483585m, N 614363m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.268629, -9.705675
Pre-development testing was undertaken at a proposed development site at the rear of No. 11 Denny Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry, which is located within the recorded medieval zone of Tralee as classified in the RMP.
Two archaeological ditches were revealed during testing. Ditch 1 is orientated north-east/south-west and is parallel with, and internal to, the basal courses of the medieval bawn wall of the Great Castle recorded during test excavations in Abbey Court in 2003 (Excavations 2003, No. 839, 02E1311). The distance between this medieval wall and Ditch 1 is c. 10m. The ditch was 2.3m in width and 0.8m in depth and contained a single fill comprised of moderately compact dark-blackish-brown silty clay. It contained moderate charcoal, occasional oyster shell and occasional severely degraded animal bone. The cut of the ditch was V-shaped in profile with a flat base. Although no datable artefacts were retrieved from the ditch, it is not unreasonable to think that the wall and ditch may be chronologically related.
Ditch 2 is located 7.5m east of Ditch 1 and orientated north–south. It measured 2.2m in width and 0.4m in depth. A soft dark-greyish-brown silty clay layer filled the majority of the ditch, although a shallow deposit was recorded at the base. This deposit comprised moderately compact dark-grey clayey silt with occasional charcoal flecks and was 0.1m deep. The cut of the ditch was V-shaped in profile with a flat base.
No other features were revealed.
