2015:101 - Magdalene Street, Rear of 58/59 Rope Walk, Drogheda, Louth

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Louth Site name: Magdalene Street, Rear of 58/59 Rope Walk, Drogheda

Sites and Monuments Record No.: LH024-041 LH024-041046 LH024-041001 Licence number: 15E0374

Author: Jon Stirland

Site type: Medieval

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 641757m, N 622583m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.717740, -6.351540

An assessment was carried out in advance of the proposed development of a private car parking facility, to be located at the junction of Magdalene Street and Rope Walk, to the rear of 58-59 Rope Walk Drogheda, Co. Louth. The site is located within a zone of archaeological potential associated with the medieval town of Drogheda (LH024-041), in particular the line the medieval town wall which ran along the site's northern boundary; the site of a medieval tile kiln (LH024-041046) identified partially within the site boundary and the site of the nearby Dominican Friary (LH024-041001). Testing is being carried out in advance of a planning application in order to amend, as appropriate, the design proposal to minimise the impact on any surviving archaeological materials.
On 7 September a total of 5 test trenches where excavated to the rear of 58-59 Rope Walk. The site contains a number of archaeological features and deposits associated with the nearby Dominican Friary. At a depth of approximately 0.34-0.6m below the current ground level was a layer of material associated with the demolition of the friary. By 1468 it is recorded that the friary had fallen into disrepair and by the time of the Dissolution in 1540 most of the church had been demolished. The demolition deposits appear to date between 1468 and 1540 and contain a large amount of medieval roof tile, a layer of lime mortar and stone, fragments of medieval floor tile and sherds of medieval pottery that range in date from the foundation of the friary in 1224 to the Dissolution in 1540.
Alongside the demolition deposits a number of pits and foundations of robbed-out walls were recorded, with two substantial sections of medieval walls surviving at 0.34-0.38m below the current ground level. These walls appear to be associated with the Dominican Friary.

Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth