2007:1973 - Priory Street/Priory Lane, New Ross, Wexford

An assessment was carried out of an area which included part of the south-western part of the medieval walled town, an area once occupied by the hospital of the Fratres Crusiferi; the Franciscans later had a friary here. In the area now occupied by Steele & Co. and south of it, sixteen trenches were excavated. The site is defined by Priory Lane at the north, Priory Street at the east, Lidl carpark at the west and Pearse Park at the south. The northern part of the site was unavailable for testing, as late 19th-century buildings occupy the site.
Most of the trenches dug exposed at least 1m of rubble which contained some red brick, stones and mortar, overlying estuarine silts. In one trench (7), which was located at right angles to the southern boundary of the Steele & Co. yard, a wall was exposed at the southern end of the trench. The wall was well built and faced. A height of 1.22m survived. It may be the surviving remains of the southern line of the medieval defences. It is roughly on line with the 8.6m stretch of wall recorded in Lower William by Martin Reid (ADS) in the preliminary works for the New Ross main drainage, 95E0086. A trench at right angles to the western boundary wall of the site showed there to be some modern material between the standing wall and its foundations. This indicates a later date for this wall approaching the south-west angle of the town walls. More testing and some subsequent excavations by the walls was the recommended action.