2007:966 - New Street, Kilkenny, Kilkenny

Test-trenching was carried out at this site as part of a pre-planning archaeological assessment of a proposed extension to the Ossary Youth Centre, Desart Hall. This site is located immediately outside the western line of the Hightown wall and a 5m-long stretch of the town wall forms part of the east site boundary. There is no visible trace of the town wall in the south-east corner of the site and its projected line is located immediately outside the site boundary in this area. The upper surface of a 6m-wide ditch was uncovered in a trench excavated at right angles to the projected line of the town wall in the south-east corner of the site and it extended under both trench sections. The ditch fill was encountered under the garden soil at a depth of 0.8m below modern ground levels. It was investigated to a depth of 0.8m when the trench sides began to collapse. The base of the ditch was not reached at this depth and no artefacts were noted. This appeared to be a continuation of a defensive town ditch, which was found outside the town wall during testing by Heather King at a development site located to the north (Excavations 1990, No. 78). There were no archaeological features or finds uncovered in two test-trenches excavated in the carpark located to the north of Desart Hall. The ground levels in this area had been disturbed by the construction of the carpark and by the foundations of an adjacent modern hotel building. It was recommended that a buffer zone, in which no development may occur, be established in the vicinity of the town wall and associated ditch. It was also recommended that any future development in the carpark area should be monitored.