2016:711 - Trinity College, Dublin Graduates’ memorial building, Dublin 2, Dublin

Description
This report refers to a monitoring programme carried out in Trinity College Dublin during the replacement of the tarmacadam path along the front (southern side) of the Graduates’ Memorial Building (GMB), which flanks Library Square on the north. A new cobbled surface was laid as a replacement The GMB lies within the constraint circle of two Recorded Monuments, the medieval priory of All Hallows (DU 018-020044) and the Old College of c.1592 (DU 018-020391). Library Square marks the site of the cemetery attached to the monastery, the layout of which is thought to have influenced the layout of the later square.
A strip of the existing tarmacadam road was removed along the southern side of the GMB in 2014 and this work exposed the remains of a very truncated cobbled surface, lying between 0.14m and 0.38m below present ground level but sealed by the modern tarmacadam layer (2014:488). While the surface survived along the base of the GMB, the orientation of the cobbles was slightly angled (north-west/south-east), matching the cartographic sources which show the original northern range of Library Square, known as ‘Rotten Row’ as slightly angled also. Thus, the cobbles were most likely to be associated with the original northern range of Library Square. The GMB was constructed in c. 1900.
In 2016 the remaining tarmac path was removed to the full width of between 7m and 8m and the area was excavated to a depth of 0.50m across the front of the GMB in a linear strip orientated east-west. The tarmac was removed with a toothless bucket in June 2016 and the cobbles were re-exposed as part of the works. These were found, however, to survive in just the strip along the GMB as previously exposed, with disturbance along the southern side which evidently removed them. The cobbles were carefully retrieved for relaying. The previous investigation had established that the cobbles were not bedded in any defined layer but on an infill layer of rubble, black/brown soil, stone, brick and spreads of mortar, which extended along the full length of the GMB. The monitoring programme confirmed this general pattern, the excavation exposing infill deposits of mixed rubble deposit within dumps of black silty infill soil, with silt and charcoal and very brunt cinders. There were also lenses and spreads of off-grey white/grey mortar spreads, some measuring 1.80m east-west by 1m in width. Also of note were distinctive square pit-like features, filled with dumps of burnt orange clay (possibly from brick-making), and charcoal and ash, clearly originating in college, in keeping with the other evidence from previous archaeological investigations. That this area was raised up significantly is no surprise since previous archaeological investigations have established that nearly all of the interior of the college has been infilled with dumps of clays and fills, containing domestic refuse from the college.
A section of culvert/drain, 3.80m in length, was exposed in the western end of the trench, extending from the south-west corner and orientated north-east/south-west but completely removed at the north-eastern end. The south-western end survived as an uncapped drain, the interior exposed and composed of granite block and handmade orange brick, measuring internally 0.26m in width by 0.40m in depth. At the north-eastern end the drain was capped, measuring 0.65m in width, the caps composed unusually of ridge-shaped over-lapping granite flags, measuring, on average, 0.60m by 0.55m. The culvert was not completely silted up but some fill was noted in the south-western end and this was a dark silty clay with orange brick fragments, stone, mortar and shell. At the western end it was cut into dark silty clay fill with redbrick fragments, mortar and slate (one sherd of 17th century brown Frechen was found on the surface of the clay) while, at the north-eastern end, it was cut into a rubble deposit wholly composed of bright orange brick rubble.
Where the cobbles were removed, they were found to be bedded in dark silty clay with brick fragments, stone and slates. This was a very mixed layer which was 0.30m in depth, sitting over on a pure orange brick rubble layer. A linear cut was identified running along the base of the GMB at the western end, between 0.20m and 0.30m in width, and cut into dark brown silty clays, the cut filled with loose rubble. This cut, however, was set at a similar angle to the cobbles (north-west/south-east) and was therefore more likely to represent the footprint of the demolished Rotten Row. The GMB was constructed through this rubble deposit. The foundations of the GMB were also exposed. At the western end the foundation extended for at least 0.60m in depth, with an offset that extended out for between 0.10m and 0.50m. Towards the central area, there was evidence of shuttering. The excavation also revealed a myriad of services within the footprint exposed.
The new cobbled surface and flagged path was laid on the completion of the works, set on a concrete base. The old cobbles were re-laid with border setts and cobbles to match existing recent paving in Front Square.

28 Cabinteely Close, Cabinteely, D.18