2007:1127 - Bedford Row, Limerick, Limerick

This site was formerly occupied by the Central Cinema and latterly the ground floor of the cinema was occupied by a clothing store. The cinema and ground-floor shop façades masked the fabric of a Methodist church, which occupied the site from the early 1800s. The majority of the ground-floor façade had been demolished in order to provide for later businesses on the site. Initially a number of test-pits were dug into the shop floor, which exposed the portion of the Methodist church façade below ground surface. Pits were also dug along the west wall of the site to a depth of c. 2m, revealing a rubble infill layer, which filled a basement level. The limestone church wall was evident for the depth of the trench. Demolition and temporary works were undertaken subsequent to the test-pitting. Piling across the site and along the west wall was then undertaken, and piles were driven to a depth of c. 10m. Further excavations were undertaken around the pile foundations to a total depth of 4m. A number of concrete and infill layers were identified. Two walls, comprising limestone and brick rubble, were also uncovered. Both ran west–east and were parallel with each other. They were 4.5m apart and concrete floor lay between them. The first infill layer on the site was found to overlie a mid-grey boulder clay, which was excavated to a depth of 0.8m. Nothing of an archaeological nature was noted during the project. The church façade is being retained as part of the new development.