2014:166 - KILKENNY: Horse Barrack Lane, Kilkenny

Licensed archaeological monitoring of the installation of a gas main took place in June 2014 along Horse Barrack Lane, Kilkenny. The works were within the ‘zone of notification’ for three monuments KK019-026101 a Franciscan Friary and KK019-026091 and KK019-026092 classified as 16^th/17^th century houses. Groundworks involved the mechanical excavation of open cut trenches averaging 750mm wide and dug to a depth of 800mm.  At the northern terminal near the entrance to Saint Francis Abbey Brewery the foundations of a foundation were exposed at a depth of wall 0.6m wide at a depth of 670mm. The wall was orientated NNE/SSW and was built of limestone rubble bonded with lime mortar, it was 0.6m wide (ITM cords 650425/656293). The wall was photographed, covered with plastic sheeting and retained in situ. Based on historic mapping it is probably related to a 19^th century structure adjoining ‘The Ring’. The development of the lane post 1920’s would have removed this building and wall. Elsewhere along the lane to the rear of 41 Parliament Street (ITM Coords 650473/656201) a rubble and brick foundation and cobbles were exposed. The cobbles were found at a depth of 750mm below the existing surface and were exposed for a length of 2.9m. The cobbles and wall foundation were retained in situ. The only finds retrieved were modern items including cast iron pipe fragments, fragments of red brick and occasional shards of 19th century tableware. Elsewhere along the lane previous service installations had disturbed original ground.