County: Wicklow Site name: Wicklow Arms Public House, Delgany
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 20E0606
Author: Marion Sutton & Grace Fegan, Shanarc Archaeology Ltd
Site type: Urban
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 727639m, N 710880m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.133151, -6.092520
Groundworks associated with the permitted redevelopment at the Wicklow Arms property under Planning Register Number 19/829 were subject to archaeological monitoring by the licensee over three days in November 2020.
Works began with the demolition of the single-story dance studio/office building, followed by stripping the existing tarmacadam carpark surface and levelling and in-filling to the required carpark formation level. Levelling and in-filling was carried out in its entirety in redeposited material. At formation level, excavation for an attenuation tank in the carpark was monitored. The attenuation pound measured 11m north-south by 27m, with a depth of 1.2m at the east to 1.6m at the west. Excavated material consisted entirely of made-up ground, consisting of redeposited dark greyish-brown silty clay with a large amount of modern construction rubble and general household waste. In several areas, the base of the attenuation tank excavation showed traces of mid-brown subsoil; however, for the majority of the excavated area the redeposited waste layer continued below the base level of the excavation.
Excavations relating to the reinforcement of the stone boundary wall, between the new carpark formation level and the graveyard (WI013-004002) to the south, involved the excavation of a trench along the wall’s northern edge to expose the base/foundation of the wall. The trench was filled with concrete to reinforce and stabilize the wall. The excavated trench measured 1-1.5m in width, 1.2-1.6m in depth and 40m in length. As with the attenuation tank, the excavated material consisted entirely of redeposited dark greyish-brown silty clay with large amounts of modern construction rubble and general waste materials. A single fragment of clay-pipe was recovered from the easternmost end of the trench. Groundworks relating to service installation were similarly excavated in disturbed or redeposited material.
No features, deposits or finds of archaeological significance were found during groundworks at the site.
Unit 39A, Hebron Business Park, Hebron Road, Kilkenny
