2012:206 - Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin, Dublin

Archaeological investigations (test trenching and monitoring) and an excavation were undertaken at the Metro North Mater Stop Box Site (MN106), Mater Misericordiae Hospital Campus (Mater Hospital), Eccles Street, Phibsborough, Dublin 7. The work was undertaken to facilitate the construction of the diaphragm wall elements of the Metro North Mater Stop Box, in advance of the opening of the Mater Adult Hospital which is currently under construction. These works were undertaken for BAM Contractors Ltd. on behalf of the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) between 9 January and 22 February 2012 in accordance with the Metro North Archaeological Strategy.

The proposed Metro North Mater Stop consists of an underground station structure (Box) constructed using diaphragm walls (‘D-walls’) that will be located beneath the proposed forecourt of the new Mater Adult Hospital (Mater Stop Box). The proposed Mater Stop Box will run south to north between Eccles Street and the North Circular Road. The underground structure will consist of two sections: the Main Box and the Second Entrance. On its western side the external wall of the Main Box will be located in close proximity to the building line of the Mater Adult Hospital. On its eastern side the external wall of the Main Box abuts the rear of the residential properties on Leo Street. The Second Entrance will be a subsidiary structure required to house the proposed southern pedestrian entrance to the Mater Stop Box and will be located within the future basement structure of the proposed National Children’s Hospital of Ireland.

Test trenching was carried out between 9 and 12 January 2012. A total of six test trenches were excavated across the site. Two features of possible archaeological merit were identified and after consultation and agreement between the RPA Project Archaeologist and the National Monuments Service, Dept. of Arts Heritage and Gaeltacht, it was agreed that these features would be the subject of an excavation undertaken in parallel with the programme of monitoring at the site.

Monitoring of ground reduction works was undertaken between 10 January and 22 February 2012 as required by the construction programme at the site. This work was undertaken in tandem with both the testing and excavation and comprised the monitoring of site investigations test pits and the monitoring of bulk ground reduction works. No additional archaeological features or deposits, to those identified by the testing, were identified during the monitoring programme.

Full excavation of the features identified through testing was undertaken at the site between 25 January and 1 February 2012. The excavation confirmed that only one of the two features was of archaeological significance. This feature is interpreted as an 18^th- or 19^th-century culvert, and is believed to have functioned in the removal of water. The timber recovered from the culvert was identified as spruce, a non-native species to Ireland that was largely imported to the country during the 19th century; although this species was known to be included in private plantations from the early 18th century. The culvert is likely to be associated with a group of buildings depicted on the 1st edition OS map of 1837, which front onto a small laneway to the north of Stable Lane. The ceramic and glass assemblage recovered from the excavation supports an 18^th- to 19^th-century date for the construction and subsequent demolition of the culvert. The domestic nature of both these assemblages suggests that the area was largely residential during this period.

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