2022:680 - Europa cars, Newtown Avenue, Blackrock, Dublin

This Report has been prepared at the request of Townmore Construction on behalf of Seabren Ltd, 42 Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. There is an archaeological condition associated with this development which required archaeological testing prior to any construction. The testing report was submitted, and archaeological monitoring and excavation were carried out over a 4-month period.

The excavation revealed that the first houses occupied the site from at least the early 1700s. Dove House was the first formal property plot laid out on the site in the mid-18^th century with a walled garden to its rear. The excavations indicate that there were at least two extensions or additions made to Dove House between the early 19^th to 20^th centuries. These extensions increased the original size of the 18^th-century house from c.8.5m by 10m up to c.19m by 10m by the early 20^th century. The enlargement of the house is corroborated on the youwho.ie website. On the website the house is described as having 8 rooms in the early 1800s. In 1901 it is described as having 16 rooms and in 1919 it had 4 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, a tennis court and pleasure gardens. Also of interest is the record of the fire brigade attending to the house in 1947 to extinguish a roof fire. The excavation revealed evidence of fire damage to the floor area in the return towards the rear of the house.

The only remnants of the walled garden to survive were the lower foundation levels of its boundary walls and a well-constructed stone latrine (F16). The latrine was a revelation and has provided a unique glimpse into what life was like in the early years of Dove House. Its occupants were no doubt wealthy and of high social standing as the quantity and quality of the finds from the latrine demonstrate. Some 600+ sherds of mostly 19^th-century ceramics were recovered including pottery and glass, broken dinner services, chamber pots and wine bottles. A small array of other small domestic items was also present – a glass and wood inkwell, a ceramic bottle stopper, two table knives, a metal drawer or cupboard handle, a ceramic gaming piece and a wooden nit comb. Most of the finds are 19^th century in date.

The other major development revealed on the site was the construction of two tram depots at the turn of the 19th century. These were substantial buildings covering most of the western half of the site and their construction involved immense excavation works. The excavations revealed the remains of the side walls, cobble stone floor, internal tram tracks and 30m+ long maintenance pits associated with the fist depot built on the site around 1885. This depot was up to 34m long by 16m wide.

Later in 1908, a second larger depot was built to cater for the new large electric tram cars. The excavations revealed the side walls, floor levels, internal walls and interior tram tracks associated with this building. The maintenance level of the depot was a full length of 45m by c.21m wide while the overall depot was a full length of 70m by c.21m wide. The old tram rails were all recycled, and it was noted that some of the rails were stamped PHOENIX 1885, which may reference an iron foundry in Derby, United Kingdom.

ACAS 45 Richmond Park, Monkstown