2010:633 - THURLES: Kickham Street, Tipperary

Testing was undertaken in relation to planning permission to demolish a building and build a health clinic and car-parking and undertake associated site works close to the south side of the west end of Kickham Street, which is within the zone of archaeological potential for Thurles town.

This site is located to the east of Thurles town centre, in a flat area on the eastern side of the River Suir. Located to the east of the walled town, it may have been in the general area of the eastern extramural suburb around St Mary’s parish church. No archaeological evidence emerged from the testing to suggest the presence of a medieval suburb in the area of the site. However, an examination of the 1840 first-edition OS map did indicate this general area was developed by the 1830s/early1840s, although the actual site was a vacant plot at this time. By the time of the compilation of the early 1950s OS edition, there appears to have been little change on the plot. The existing building, which partially occupied the site, appeared to date, at the earliest, to the mid-20th century.

Three test-trenches were positioned on the site; two west of the building which extended through the centre of the site and one trench to its east. A land drain was revealed within the two western trenches, which appeared to terminate at a stone-filled soak pit. Contained within the fill of this cut was modern glass and factory-made red brick, suggesting it was not of antiquity. All soil profiles recorded in the trench, sited to the east of the existing building, pointed to the area being utilised as a vegetable plot. There was no evidence of any activity prior to the mid- to late 19th century at its earliest from this trench.