County: Dublin Site name: Irish Museum of Modern Art, Kilmainham
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 11E0410
Author: Dermot Nelis
Site type: Human remains
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 712965m, N 733920m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.343434, -6.303536
The development involved excavation for trenching and ducting around the site, the construction of draw chambers for site service cables and concrete bases for security camera columns. The works were a phased part of a greater package of fire, security and mechanical and electrical upgrade works throughout the site. Fieldwork took place intermittently between 21 November 2011 and 24 August 2012, and in total took 18 days to complete.
The trenching measured approximately 1.5km in length, with trenches measuring 0.8m deep x 0.4m wide. All excavation was located in the meadow of the Royal Hospital, around the edge of the site, along the boundary with St John’s Road, along the boundary of the South Circular Road and back along the central avenue and across the meadow of the Royal Hospital. The trenching along the South Circular Road boundary was within Bully’s Acre graveyard.
Bully’s Acre is a recorded graveyard. In addition, the possible presence of a 7th-century ecclesiastical centre and features associated with the development of the Royal Hospital confirmed the development area to be one of significant archaeological potential.
Excavation revealed the presence of two articulated human remains in the south-west corner of Bully’s Acre. The remains were assessed by Denise Keating (osteologist) and were preserved in situ. In addition, numerous pieces of disarticulated human remains and modern artefacts such as pottery, clay pipe fragments, bottles etc. were revealed as a result of the excavation for the cable trenches and draw chambers.
No additional archaeological features or artefacts were revealed.
36 Fingal Street, Dublin 8
