2013:058 - St Stephen's Green North- Dawson Street, Dublin

Archaeological monitoring and recording undertaken as part of the Luas Cross City (LCC) Investigation and Treatment of Cellars Works contract for the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA). The contract was designed to identify and record cellars which will be impacted by the construction of LCC. A total of five licence areas, from St. Stephen’s Green to Dominick Street, were provided for under the contract (Licence Nos. 13E197; 13E200-13E203). Archaeological monitoring and recording undertaken from St. Stephens Green to Dawson Street was carried out by the author on behalf of Archaeology and Built Heritage, Licence No. 13E200.

In all 43 cellars were recorded and these were associated with original structures located at Nos. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 43, 44, and 46 Dawson Street and 13 St Stephen’s Green. Seven cellars were already filled with concrete. Nine cellars were deemed unsafe for full survey and were surveyed in as much detail as was practical and safe; either from above the trench or from a safe point of entry. Cellars were partially exposed in the trenches at Nos.1, 2 and 3 Dawson Street.  The cellars were constructed of masonry and brick bonded with lime mortar. In most cases the access to the insulation passage and main cellar had been blocked off. Several cellars had clearly been altered over the years and most had been backfilled, but three at 21 Dawson Street were in used at the time of survey.

Seven trenches located at Nos. 4, 5, 6, 13, 49, 51, 52, 56, 60, 61 Dawson Street did not uncover any cellars. One of these trenches revealed the retaining wall of a cellar. It is possible that other trenches on this (west) side of the street may also have been located beyond the cellars, which would explain why no cellars were exposed in those trenches. Subsoil, where exposed, lay between 700-900mm below present ground level.

The tops of four cellars and their retaining wall were exposed at No. 13 St Stephen’s Green. There was one cellar at No. 8 Dawson Street and this cellar, unlike the others recorded on the street, was orientated north-south. There were three cellars at No. 9, two at No. 10, one at No. 11 and one at No. 12. Four of these cellars had intact coal holes and two had poorly preserved wooden doors. Two of the cellars had been extended to the west and the roof of the cellar at No. 9 appears to have been raised. The interior of the cellar at No. 12 was supported by a series of wooden beams and a low slate ‘bench’ was set along the southern wall. There were three cellars at No. 15, two at No. 16 and two at No. 17. All of these cellars had intact coal holes and three of them had two coal holes. The two northern cellars were joined by an arched opening but an arch to the adjoining southern cellar had been blocked up. The western extent of each of these cellars was blocked off by a modern wall. Cobbled floors survived in the southern cellars at Nos. 15 and 16. The cellars at No. 16 were linked by a passage to the west of the insulation passage and a secondary wall divided the southern cellar into two rooms. Four cellars were recorded at No. 18, three of which had intact coal holes. The walls of the northern cellar sloped notably westward away from the main basement.

There were two cellars at No. 20 and each had an intact coal hole. A brick drain (now redundant) was set in the floor of the southern cellar. There were four cellars at No. 22. The eastern ends and original door openings of each of these cellars was blocked off with a rubble wall. Coal holes were intact in two of the cellars and one had the remains of a flagstone floor. Five cellars were recorded at No. 23. Three of these had intact coal holes and one had a metalled floor. The northernmost cellar at No. 23 had evidence for five phases of construction. Over time access to the insulation passage was blocked. An internal structure was constructed which narrowed the walls and lowered the roof of the cellar and a small access door was created at the eastern end of the cellar. A tiled floor was inserted and a flue-type feature built at the northeastern corner of the cellar. Finally a wall was built blocking off the western end of the cellar.

There were two cellars at No. 43, each with an intact coal hole. The northern of these cellars had a flagstone floor and a stone ledge running along the side walls. The southern cellar appeared to have been narrowed by the construction of new side walls. The cellar at No. 44 was in poor condition, in contrast to that at No. 46, which had an intact coal hole and appeared to have been in use until relatively recently.

Finds were recovered from cellars at Nos. 10, 15, 20, 22, 23, 43, and 44. These finds comprised mainly ceramic sherds, including glazed earthenwares, stonewares and fine china. There was also a small assemblage of glass finds, mainly bottles, and clay pipe fragments.

For Archaeology and Built Heritage, 79 Queen Street, Dublin 7