County: Dublin Site name: 13-18 Grangegorman Road Lower, Dublin 7
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 16E0569
Author: Deirdre Murphy
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 714539m, N 734893m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.351836, -6.279558
An archaeological assessment was carried out at 13-18, Grangegorman Road Lower, Dublin 7. The site includes nos. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 Grangegorman Road Lower. The proposed development includes the demolition of all existing structures on site and the construction of 132-bed space student residential accommodation.
The closest recorded monument (DU018-020565) is listed as a 16th/17th-century house in the townland of Dublin North City and is located 110m west of the proposed development site. However, the surrounding area of Grangegorman and Dublin North City has proven to be historically, architecturally and archaeologically significant both in terms of recorded monuments, archaeological stray finds and some previously unrecorded archaeological sites, which have been identified during archaeological assessments associated with recent development projects.
Monitoring was carried out between February and June 2017 in a number of phases. Following demolition of the existing structures, a test trench was excavated at the south end of the site which revealed 1m of made-up ground consisting of stone and gravel above a natural grey stony boulder clay.
The site slopes from north to south which necessitated piling along the east, north and western boundaries. This piling and the subsequent bulk excavation of the site to formation level was monitored between March and May 2017. For the most part the site consisted of disturbed or made ground of approximately 1m above the very stony natural grey boulder clay and gravel. At the south end of the site a wooden oak barrel constructed of staves and wooden hoops but without a base was exposed cut into the natural boulder clay at a depth of 2m from present ground level. Its location below a small building indicated on the 1838 OS map may suggest it relates to a latrine or well. It was very waterlogged and filled with the same natural material that surrounded it. The barrel was recorded and removed. No other finds or features of archaeological significance were exposed over the remainder of the site.
Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21 Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth. Ireland.
