2010:663 - Father MATHEW HALL, GRACE ROAD, ATHLONE, Westmeath

The site is located between Grace Road and the River Shannon and comprises a former temperance hall (Father Mathew Hall), constructed in 1897, and a terraced embanked landscaped area to the immediate north. This latter area was originally created in the late 19th century by land reclamation and was further landscaped in the 1980s. It is the intention of Athlone Town Council to create an art gallery on the site, by means of converting much of the existing building and constructing an extension to the north. Other works will include a service yard and creation of a boardwalk along a section of the riverfront. The site is situated within the zone of archaeological potential established for Athlone. A defensive feature – Connaught Tower – was located within, or in the immediate environs of, the site. This was constructed in the 16th century and was described in 1581 as ‘an old ruinous tower covered with straw’. It is illustrated on Thomas Phillip’s map of 1685 as comprising a rectangular structure with two circular towers at the north, linked to Athlone Castle to the south by a defensive wall or ditch. Although the tower was largely demolished by Williamite bombardment in 1691, its location was marked on maps up to the late 18th century. Research indicates that the tower was located at the south-western corner of the site at the junction formed by Grace Road, Market Square and the road leading west from the bridge.
A programme of monitoring of geotechnical site investigations was undertaken on a phased basis during November 2009 and January 2010, during which a number of wall remains were encountered to the immediate north and south of the existing building (see Excavations 2009, No. 826). Consequently, it was agreed that additional testing should be undertaken. This was undertaken on a phased basis in March and April 2010.
No further evidence for the wall remains uncovered to the north of the building was found. However, testing to the south of the building uncovered the remains of a substantial wall feature (Wall A). The wall is 0.8m wide and extends in a southerly direction from the southern face of the Father Mathew Hall for a distance of 9.8m, where it was truncated by works associated with the construction of the adjacent bridge and road in the 1840s. In addition, there was evidence for additional truncation of the wall along its exposed length with the top of the wall lying at 0.3–1.5m below the present external yard surface.
Further testing was undertaken within the confines of the existing building. Further evidence for Wall A was uncovered and was found to be partially truncated by foundation works associated with the existing building. This wall is considered to be the subsurface remains of a riverside wall indicated on Sherrard’s map of 1784. Further wall remains (C and D) were uncovered bonded to the northern extent of Wall A. These incorporate a slight kink/corner feature and represent the basal remains of late 18th/early 19th-century walls illustrated in the 1837 OS map.
The remains of a further wall (E) were uncovered in the central area of the existing building. This comprised the random rubble remains of a corner feature, truncated to the west by works either associated with the construction of Grace Road in the 1850s or by Father Mathew Hall in the 1890s and to the south by Wall A. The east–west-orientated portion of Wall E was up to 2.7m long and stepped down in profile from east to west and was 0.54m in width with a stepped foundation. Similarly, the north–south portion was stepped in profile (from north to south) and extended for a length of 0.95m, with some evidence for a stepped foundation to the west. The eastern face of this length had been truncated by Wall A, although a lower section was incorporated into the latter. Further investigations indicated that this north–south length might have been up to 0.86m in thickness. The uppermost level of the wall remains is 0.58m below that of the existing floor level. In addition, Walls C and D were constructed against the remains of Wall E. No artefactual material was recovered that might aid in the dating of the various walls. It was initially considered that Wall E might represent the basal foundation remains of Connaught Tower. However, one would consider that such remains would be substantially thicker, particularly given the defensive nature of Connaught Tower and its substantial rebuilding/refortification in the 17th century. However, it is noted that Connaught Tower had an associated garden to its north and it is possible that Wall E represents the north-eastern corner of this feature, particularly given that it is generally considered that Connaught Tower was located a little further to the south under the junction formed by Market Square and Grace Road.
Changes to the development, particularly with respect to foundations and underpinning works, were subsequently agreed and it is intended that construction works will commence in early 2011. All ground-reduction works, including the excavations for foundations, ground beams, underpinning and service trenches, will be monitored.