2023:590 - Brookfield Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, Dublin

A programme of archaeological monitoring and excavation was undertaken from 05 July to 28 August 2023. The monitoring and excavation works followed on from a programme of archaeological testing in May 2023 under the same licence. The testing revealed that while the southern half of the site appeared to have been reduced to subsoil during the twentieth-century construction of the former print works on the site, the northern half of the site contained intact archaeological deposits containing medieval and post-medieval pottery. It was recommended that a programme of archaeological monitoring be carried out in the southern half of the site during construction works and a programme of archaeological excavation be carried in the northern half of the site in advance of construction.

During the excavation and monitoring works, no archaeology was recorded in the southern half of the site, while the northern half of the site revealed medieval, post-medieval and eighteenth–twentieth-century material.

Medieval material

The medieval archaeology consisted of two layers of agricultural soils or garden soils. The larger of the medieval layers (C.75) was located in the north-eastern corner of the site and comprised a homogenous deposit of sandy silty clay with medieval pottery fragments, moderate inclusions of animal bone as well as occasional fragments of metal slag. The deposit extends in to the north-eastern corner of the site and its original extent when first exposed covered a triangular-shaped area in plan measuring c.22m in length (8m at its eastern end tapering to 2m at its western end), 3.5m of which runs under a stepped baulk (3.5m in width) at the eastern boundary. Part of the deposit was archaeologically excavated to below the formation level of the development during site works. Although the length of the deposit east–west still remains at c.22m, its maximum north–south extent at the eastern end is c. 3.1m. The portion of the deposit unexcavated during site works has been preserved in situ.  The smaller of the medieval layers (C.66) was more disturbed with residual inclusions of post-medieval pottery and clay pipe fragments.

Post-medieval material

The post-medieval material on site included three stone walls (C.51, C54 and C.68), three cobbled surfaces (C.30, C.34 and C.63) and an extensive probable garden soil (C.28). The walls and cobbled surfaces were located in the north-western corner of the site. At least two phases of cobbled surfaces were evident and all three surfaces appear to have extended beyond the site boundaries to the north and west. The surfaces may represent pathways, laneways or possibly roads, perhaps leading into this area from the north–south roadway to the west of the site marked on DeGomme’s map of 1673 (modern day Brookfield Road). The three walls recorded comprise the lower courses or foundations of segments of walls, although it is unclear if they were associated with the cobbled surfaces.

Eighteenth–Twentieth-Century material

A cluster of layers recorded in the north-eastern corner of the site (C.79, C.80, C.81, C.82 and C.83) have been provisionally dated to the eighteenth–nineteenth centuries and also probably represent garden soils, perhaps from the rears of the structures marked on the historical OS maps. Two walls (C.52 and C.53) recorded along the northern edge of the site, appear to be in line with the back garden walls of structures marked on the 25-inch OS map.

Finally, the remains of two nineteenth/twentieth-century vernacular houses were recorded in the north-western corner of the site. These are the remnants of two Workmen’s cottages, recorded as Nos 2.1, 2.2 and 3.1 & 3.2 on the 1911 Census. These remnants consisted of six structural walls (C.11, C39, C.41, C.47, C.48 and C.49), the remains of a wooden floor, two sets of back to back triangular fireplaces, as well as a portion of a gate door on the exterior wall. The walls were generally constructed with roughly hewn limestone blocks and cobbles of varying sizes with brick included in the façade and rear walls. The walls were generally of random coursing and bonded with lime mortar and patches of white and pinkish-white plaster survived throughout. These vernacular structures were subjected to a full survey and photographic record.

Fahy’s Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare