County: Dublin Site name: Abbey Road, Monkstown
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Martin A. Timoney
Site type: Post-medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 722762m, N 727440m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.283044, -6.158989
In the renovation of a petrol service station on Abbey Road, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, a well, 8m deep and about 2.8m in diameter, was exposed; the level of water in the well was 2m below the present service station.
The walls of the well are built of angular blocks of granite, measuring in the region of 0.22m by 0.18m across. The wall of the well was at least 0.5m thick.
Two sections of the timber pump survived. These are of pine, Pinus sylvestris; Scots pine (pers. comm. Michael O’Connell, NUIG).
The lower timber was 3.76m by 0.28m by 0.26m. There was a rectangular slot hole, 86mm by 57mm, at 0.42m from the flat base for allowing water into the beam. The top end was tapered like a mechanically pared pencil, but broken. It was 0.13m diameter externally.
The middle timber was 4.2m by 0.28m by 0.26m. It was open at both ends, circular lower end for fitting onto top of lower section – external diameter 0.27m; internal diameter 0.12m; top end tapered and 0.13m diameter externally. Upper third was slightly rotted; otherwise main faces perfectly flat. The faces of each timber were perfectly flat and had the marks from a large-diameter circular saw working from top down.
There would have been an upper timber, or at least a head, which has rotted away or has fallen deep into the well.
Archaeological involvement began some hours after the well was discovered. Nobody could have anticipated the exposure of the well as there was no prior indication of the existence of the well on the ground or on OS maps.
The timbers were immediately put back into the well to protect them from the intense heat and the well was sealed over within days of being exposed. NMI and NMS were kept informed of what had been found and gave advance agreement to archaeological work carried out.
A sample of the lower timber was dated at QUB (UBA-20872) to 225 ±20 BP. Michael O’Connell, NUIG, further analised the data, using Oxcal 4.1 and IntCal09 calibration. The date translates as either c. AD 1790 or c. 1660.
Bóthar an Corainn, Keash, Co. Sligo
