2014:243 - Plot 16, Medieval Quarter Site, Englishtown, Limerick, Limerick

Six test trenches were excavated within the vacant plot on Castle Street, located on King’s Island in Limerick City. The site is located 20m to the east of King John’s Castle and fronts onto Castle Street and Barrack Street. It is bounded to the south and south-west by a row of 19th-century houses. The Sisters of Mercy convent, LI005-017047 - Religious House Dominican and LI005-017121 - Burial ground, is located 10m to the east of the site. The plot itself is a brown field site, which slopes to the east. The Civil Survey (1656) notes 1 stone house and 1 cage work house on this plot. The 1st and 2nd edition OS maps show a number of buildings located on the site.  

Trench 1 (13.5m by 1.5m north-west/south-east, depth 1.38m) contained the remains of two walls at the south-south-east end of the trench, probably dating to the 19th century.  

Trench 2 (13.5m by 1.5m north-west/south-east, depth 2.5m) contained a rubble fill with the natural boulder clay encountered at 2.5m below present ground level.  

Trench 3 (14m by 1.5m north-east/south-west, depth 3.05m) contained substantial amounts of modern rubbish. Underneath this was a 1m layer of dark brown friable clayey silt, and underneath this again was a garden soil layer. Two adjoining concrete walls were located  at the south-west edge of the trench. The natural orange boulder clay was exposed at the base of the trench at a depth of 3.05m below present ground level.  

Trench 4 (14m by 1.5m north-east/south-west, depth 2.65m) ran parallel to Trench 3, with a similar fill. The two concrete walls found in Trench 3 were also encountered in this trench.  

Trench 5 (14m by 1.5m north-east/south-west, depth 2.35m) contained 1.25m of modern fill material  Underneath, at a depth of 1.25m were the remains of two mortared stone walls and appear to be 19th century in date, corresponding to buildings on the 1st Edition OS map.  

Trench 6 (14m by 1.5m north-west/south-east, depth 0.92m) consisted of loose gravel, yellow sand fill and  friable clayey silt. The natural boulder clay was exposed at the base of the trench at 0.92m below present ground level.  

The test trenches did not reveal any medieval layers subsurface. However remains of a cellar of probable 19th-century date was uncovered in the western side of the site, and the remains of a 19th-century structure were encountered at the eastern side of the site. A number of garden layers and demolition layers varied in depth across the site from 1.2-3.2m. The 'natural' was also exposed at the base of the trenches and consisted of orange boulder clay. No archaeological features were found within the natural boulder clay. This natural clay varied in depth from 0.92m to 3.05 below present ground level.

Aegis Archaeology Ltd, 32 Nicholas St, King's Island, Limerick