2007:741 - St JOHN’S LANE, ATHY, Kildare

Planning permission for construction of a mixed-use development at this site required an impact assessment, to include testing. The site is located within the zone of archaeological potential established for Athy town and on the western side of the River Barrow.
According to the Urban Archaeological Survey (Bradley et al., 1987), the disused graveyard to the south, the monastery school to the west and, possibly, St John’s House, which occupies the eastern area of the site, occupy the site of the former Priory of St Thomas and Hospital of St John. The foundation date of this priory is uncertain, but it appears to have been established either in the reign of King John or in 1253. It was dissolved in 1540, but no extent of its possessions is known. However, later 16th- and 17th-century inquisitions and deeds include references to a church, a hall, a garden, a stable, five cottages, a ruinous tower and a hospital building, the latter being demolished in the early 17th century.
According to the Urban Archaeological Survey, the north wall of the disused graveyard to the south preserves a portion of wall, 12m long, which may be part of the original priory or hospital. The masonry consists of uncoursed limestone and stands to a height of c. 1.8m aboveground internally, and 3.8m above the ground of the subject testing area externally.
Testing undertaken by the writer in advance of the construction of a development immediately to the south of St John’s House (Excavations 1995, No. 143, 95E0196) indicated that the levels in this area had been raised by the importation of fill and reclaimed from the original flood-plain/river channel of the River Barrow. Below such layers of fill, which were in excess of 1m in depth, a number of distinct organic layers, containing animal bone, shell and twigs, were uncovered. The nature of these layers indicated that they represented material that may have been dumped into the former river channel over a period of time. No artefacts were recovered, but it was speculated that some of the layers were probably related to the dumping of food debris from the priory and hospital.
Four test-trenches were excavated by machine, following which the sides and bases were cleaned by hand. In addition, all spoil was raked through in order to aid in the recovery of artefactual material. Although no material remains of archaeological interest within the site were uncovered during the course of testing, there were indications that there is a probability that the original surface levels across the site, as implied by the higher levels of the graveyard to the south and lands to the west, were substantially reduced at some time in the past, possibly in association with the construction of St John’s House in the latter half of the 18th century, at which time any archaeological features or deposits would have been removed. Consequently, it is not considered likely that any development of the site will cause any direct physical impacts with respect to items of archaeological interest and/or potential, although it is likely that some archaeological artefacts exist in the former riverine deposits that a previous programme of testing indicate lie under the existing house.
All ground-reduction works associated with the development will be monitored, as required by a condition included in the grant of planning. In addition, given the location of St John’s House with respect to the former medieval priory and hospital, it is likely that some dressed stone or architectural fragments relating to these former buildings might be incorporated into the building fabric of the house, in a similar way that window fragments are incorporated into the northern boundary wall of the adjacent graveyard. Consequently, it was suggested that the demolition of the house should be monitored/inspected by an archaeologist.
Reference
Bradley, J., Halpin, A. and King, H. 1987 Urban Archaeological Survey, Part VII (iv): County Kildare. Unpublished OPW report.