2023:522 - 10 & 11 Belvedere Court, Mountjoy, Dublin 1, Dublin

Archaeological works were conducted at a proposed development site at 10–11 Belvedere Court, Mountjoy, Dublin 1. The site is zoned Z8, Georgian Heritage, and lies within the Architectural Conservation Area for Mountjoy Square. Located to the rear of 10 and 11 Mountjoy Square North, the site would originally have formed part of the setting of these two houses which are listed on the Record of Protected Structures (Ref No. 5421 and 5422). The site lies within the Zone of Archaeological Potential for Dublin City (DU018-020). The most recent use of 10 Belvedere Court was as the Jigsaw cultural space and music venue (active from 2015–21) and prior to that as ‘Seomra Spraoi’, a not-for-profit social centre run by an anti-capitalist collective (active from 2004–15).

The site contained two moderately-sized warehouse structures constructed in the mid-twentieth century which sit over the footprint of two demolished mews/stable structures (dating to c.1800). In the following order, works comprised the archaeological monitoring of site demolition and enabling works, monitoring of site investigation works, a programme of archaeological test-trenching, and a final archaeological monitoring phase of ground reduction within the site.

The only above ground traces of the original late-eighteenth-century/early-nineteenth-century mews/stable structures were the original party walls. Demolition and concrete slab removal within the site revealed a portion of a cobbled and flagstone surface (i.e. the original stable/mews floor surface). Archaeological test-trenching (T1–T5) carried out in advance of any foundation excavation works revealed three roughly- hewn limestone stable/mews foundation walls bonded with a lime mortar (dated c.1800). Modern concrete foundations, services, plinths, and underpinning strengthening the twentieth-century structure built over and incorporating the original stables/mews walls were also revealed.

A Preliminary Monitoring and Testing Report (Hickey 2023) and a Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment (CHIA) (Donoghue 2023) for the site were produced by AMS and issued to the NMS and City Archaeologist in January and February 2023 respectively. These reports detailed the monitoring and test-trenching findings and made recommendations for further archaeological mitigation measures. In agreement with the City Archaeologist, the client moved directly into the ground reduction stage, which was carried out under a constant archaeological monitoring presence.

Ground reduction works revealed the full extent of the foundation walls and a previously unidentified stone-lined well. Two random rubble stone boundary walls were extant between 9 and 10 Belvedere Court and 10 and 11 Belvedere Court. A measured survey and photographic record of these boundary walls was undertaken prior to demolition.

All features revealed and recorded at the site were dated to c.1800. As noted, the site was subject to a constant archaeological monitoring brief as it was reduced to natural subsoil. No features of an archaeological nature pre-dating the nineteenth century were revealed during the works. The site was considered completely archaeologically resolved, and no further archaeological works were recommended.

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