2020:434 - McCourt’s Townhouse, 86-87 John Street Lower, Kilkenny, Kilkenny

Between 23 April and 11 December 2020 monitoring took place of excavation work associated with alterations to a protected structure, McCourt’s Townhouse, at Nos 86-87 John Street Lower, Kilkenny.

Archaeological monitoring of the excavation of a foundation pad for a link corridor between the Townhouse and the River Court Hotel, and of excavation for the construction of an elevator shaft within the basement of No. 87 was carried out in compliance of Condition 10 of the grant of planning issued by Kilkenny County Council to the building owners under Planning Ref. No. 19/604.

No features, deposits or finds of archaeological significance were revealed during the excavation of the foundation pad to the rear of the Townhouse.

Within the basement of No. 87, the elevator shaft was excavated abutting the party wall with No. 86, revealing some remains of limestone masonry and remnant cobbled surfaces. These features are likely to be associated with structures built at No. 87 from the mid-18th century. A small rubbish pit in one corner of the shaft cut, likely deposited in the 19th century, contained later 18th-century - early 19th-century pottery, glass and clay pipe stems, with oyster shell, animal bone and building debris, comprising roof slate, brick fragments and tile. The remnant cobbles were recorded at two levels, at 0.35m and between 0.52-0.62m below the modern basement floor level, embedded in yellow sticky silty clay, which directly overlay natural grey riverine deposits. The rubbish pit finds continued into the level of the riverine deposits, with some animal bone, a brick and a worked limestone architectural fragment representing possible separate deposition episodes in the natural.

Unit 39A, Hebron Business Park, Hebron Road, Kilkenny