Excavation

Archaeological testing (Licence no. 99E0055: www.excavations.ie) at 19 North Main St., identified an isolated pocket of archaeological material which was subsequently excavated (Licence no. 99E0055 ext.) in conjunction with the monitoring of ground-level reduction of the surrounding area. The material identified proved to be the upper layer of a pit that extended to a depth of 1.4m. The pit lay beneath 0.5m of disturbed soil, which formed the floor level of the existing building. While its edges were difficult to define, it was irregularly-square with dimensions of c. 1.4-1.6m each way. The pit had been truncated on the north and east sides but the southern side showed an almost sheer, vertical drop. Three distinct layers were discerned in the fill. The uppermost was a sandy, stony clay with occasional charcoal flecks. The central and most distinctive layer followed the contours of the cut, and consisted of a dark brown, silty clay mixed with natural and contained inclusions of frequent charcoal flecks, frequent animal bone and some oyster shell: this layer produced several sherds of medieval pottery. The lower layer was almost indistinguishable from the natural, being composed of a sandy gravel, and would have been dismissed as natural were it not for the occurrence of a conspicuous lens of mortar running almost horizontally through it close to the base. Another lens of mortar occurred as an interface between the central and basal layers of the pit. Monitoring of general ground-level reduction and the excavation of two column bases within the boundary of the property to the south were also undertaken, but did not reveal further archaeological material. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011