2023:621 - 22 Little Britain Street, Dublin 7, Dublin

Additional test excavation was carried out at the site at the request of Dublin City Council and the National Monuments Service. The test excavations focused on a substantial masonry wall identified in Excavation 23E0062 and interpreted as the outer precinct wall enclosing St Mary’s Abbey (DU018-020048). A 14.5m stretch of the north-east/south-west aligned wall was exposed. It measured 0.68m wide by 1.23-1.8m high and constructed with limestone blocks, faced on both sides and with a rubble core. The basal course was sitting directly on natural subsoil with little evidence for splaying of a foundation, except on the southern side. The initial four courses were bonded with clay and appear to be wholly original. Thereafter, there appeared to be some level of intervention in the upper courses whereby the wall faces were bonded with lime mortar and some traces of a lime render were also noted. Some instances of brick infill were also noted. Also, later interventions in some cases utilised smaller limestone blocks. Towards the eastern end of the exposed wall, a breach was noted indicating the presence of an ope which was later again infilled with red brick. A mortar floor extended southwards from the opening.

Archer Heritage Planning, 1 Tenure Business Park, Tenure, Co. Louth. A92 K2VF