2011:215 - GRANGEGORMAN, Dublin

Monitoring of geotechnical site investigations was carried out in the grounds of St Brendan’s Hospital, Grangegorman, Dublin 7, in September 2011. The site is located on the north-western fringe of Dublin City and forms a large parcel of land between the north inner city and the North Circular Road, extending over 29.5ha. It is situated on the upper reaches of south-facing ground on a low ridge north of the River Liffey, and is defined by the North Circular Road to the north, Grangegorman Upper to the east and by Kirwan Street Cottages to the south. The western boundary of the site is formed by property plots fronting onto Prussia Street and Manor Street, while the public road, Grangegorman Upper, bisects the site. Broadstone bus depot occupies the lands to the east of the site, with the extent of the former grounds of St Brendan’s Hospital extending as far south as Brunswick Street North.
No recorded monuments lie within the confines of the development site. There are, however, several listed buildings within the site boundaries. These all belong to institutional complexes designed in the early 19th century by Francis Johnston and William G. Murray.
The unmarked graves of cholera victims dating from the 1830s are thought to be located in the vicinity of the Annex Building, east of Grangegorman Upper, beyond the current site boundary. Consultation in 1998 with the then Eastern Health Board confirmed that, according to their records from the 1820s onward, no patients were buried within the confines of the grounds. It is, however, not unusual to find unrecorded burials within institutional grounds and these could potentially be located in discrete pockets throughout the grounds of the site, albeit currently not located. Particular attention should be given to locations adjacent to former institutional churches and chapel buildings within the site.
John Rocque’s map of the site dating from 1756 depicts a lane leading westwards from the present-day Grangegorman Upper towards a structure located amongst the fields. There is a possibility that its foundations survive beneath the present ground level. Given that the building dates from at least the early 18th century, its location may correspond to the grange or medieval farm at Grangegorman. The supposed location of this medieval farm is sited outside the grounds of St Brendan’s Hospital (DU018-020565) on the RMP. The site illustrated on Rocque’s map is significant, however, and should be investigated prior to the commencement of development works.
A total of 24 test pits and ten percolation pits were excavated at the site. The excavation of the pits was carried out by mechanical excavator housing a 1.4m- or 0.7m-wide bucket.
No archaeology of significance was identified during the monitoring programme on the site. There was no evidence, either structural or artefactual, of medieval or earlier activity. The earliest pottery type recovered was black tin-glazed earthenware, which was ubiquitous in the 17th–19th centuries.
Structural remains were found in TP 5, 8, 12, 21 and 23, as well as SW 4 and 7. They all appeared relatively modern and were associated with finds and materials dating from the 18th century at the earliest. At least two of the buildings, in TP 8/SW 7 and SW 4, were part of basements with deep-set walls.

Edmond O’Donovan & Associates, 77 Fairyhill, Bray, Co. Wicklow