2015:387 - DUBLIN: Kevin Street Garda station, 41-7 Bride Street and 35-47 Bride Street, Dublin

This large site, on the corner of Bride Street and Kevin Street, originally formed part of the palace of St Sepulchre, the residence of the Archbishop of Dublin, which was constructed in the in the late 12th century, beside St Patrick’s Cathedral. A large excavation was carried out in advance of the construction of a new Garda station which encompassed the entire footprint of the site. This revealed significant remains from the medieval period, which included the remains of a ditch and bank, which originally surrounded the palace, along with a road, structures, property boundaries and industrial activity. The remains from the site also included a significant post-medieval horizon in the form of 18th-century houses and plots (Simpson, Excavations 2008, 394). While the site was excavated in 2008, a post-medieval well, which extended at least 5m in depth, was left in situ for recording during construction works.

During the bulk excavation works in April 2015 the wall (F272) was exposed along with the very bottom of a medieval well (F256). The post-medieval well was positioned in the south-west corner of the site and measured 1.2m in diameter. The timber pump was immediately visible, projecting out from the redeposited boulder cays, which had previously sealed it. This pump, although dried out, appeared to be made of oak and measured 0.3m square with the central bore measuring 0.12m in diameter. The entire pump stick measured 4.8m and the upper portion was circular in shape. The remainder was square measuring 0.24m by 0.19m with a basal oak? plug measuring 80mm in diameter. The well itself was found to be constructed of massive boulders, measuring, on average, 0.6m by 0.6m, which were pressed into the boulder clay with no evidence of mortar. It (F272) lay to the south-west of the medieval well (F227). Only the very base of the second medieval well was exposed, presenting as a dark spread in the boulder clay composed of distinctive brown organic clays and fill, to a depth of 0.12m. Initial inspection identified timber fragments and medieval pottery sherds, and the entire area was cleaned by hand. The spread of organic fill measured 1.2m in diameter and was cut into yellow sticky clay with large rounded stones, 0.18m in diameter, possibly the remaining section of a stone lining.