2010:262 - DUBLIN: Gardiner Street Middle and Temple Lane North, Dublin

Text excavations were carried out on the site of a proposed development located to the north-east of the ruins of St George’s Church, DU018–020 (498), and the former graveyard, which is now a playground. The site covers an area of 0.41ha on the site of Father Scully House flats (46–52 Gardiner Street Middle) and 45–68 Temple Lane North.

Testing was carried out after the demolition of the two modern buildings that had occupied the site. The ground over the main part of the site had been levelled and lay c. 1.62m below existing street level. During demolition works a series of red-brick cellar structures were noted along the eastern boundary of the site running under the footpath. However, only the northern cellar was visible during the test excavations, since rubble had been ramped up along the line of the footpath.

Five test-trenches were excavated on-site. No features of pre-19th-century date were identified during the testing programme although an ex situ sherd of 17th-century pottery was uncovered within a fill deposit on the west of the site. This pottery was probably derived from a reclamation deposit laid down in the 17th century.