2018:635 - 1-9 Chatham Street, Dublin, Dublin

Monitoring was carried out for groundworks associated with the redevelopment of 1–9 Chatham Street, Dublin 2, in response to planning conditions attached to the proposed development (Planning Ref.: DCC 4436/16). It follows a previous desktop report carried out by Paul Duffy of IAC Ltd in December 2016.

The area of proposed development is located within the zone of archaeological potential for the historic centre of Dublin City DU018-020. The closest sub-constraint is located c. 30m to the south and is recorded as (DU018-020388), the site of a former Bridge. The next closest sub-constraint is located c. 100m to the west and represents a significant medieval foundation comprising a church and a hospital (DU018-020063).

Demolition of existing structures and groundworks onsite illustrated that extensive disturbance and scarping of the site has occurred in the recent past (20th century). The previous structure which occupied the Chatham Street frontage of the site had been constructed on a foundation up to 3m deep. The remainder of the site had seen the ground reduced to, on average, 1m below the current street level and extensive reinforced concrete foundations installed prior to the ground level being built back up.

One feature of archaeological interest was identified during the groundworks. During the removal of these concrete foundations, a stone and mortar pier and a redbrick wall were observed in the section face beneath Chatham Street c. 25m east of the corner of Chatham Street and King Street. The pier and redbrick wall are likely to represent elements of 18th-century cellars that had been blocked up prior to the development of the site in the 1990s. These features occurred immediately north of the redline boundary of the site and were not affected by the works. These cellars are likely to have extended northwards beneath the street and almost certainly correspond to a line of seven vaulted cellars identified and recorded by IAC Ltd immediately to the north of the current site.

Monitoring of the groundworks at 1–9 Chatham Street confirmed that previous development of the site had removed any archaeological deposits, materials or structures that may have once survived here. As such, these results correspond closely to the excavations c. 30m south at King Street which concluded that modern development had removed any deposits above the subsoil.
No further archaeological works or input is required for this development.

Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow