Quay in Unknown Townland

Pre-development investigations in 2003 under licence No. 03E0964 on 14 Ormond Quay /13 Strand street revealed evidence for land reclamation and the construction of a quay wall between 1670-1685 (C. Baker, T. Bolger and A. Cryerhall 2006, 147). Monitoring of groundworks at the site was completed in 2004. This programme of monitoring had commenced in 2003, following on from an excavation at the site by Abi Cryerhall (Excavations 2003, No. 562). Excavation by Abi Cryerhall under licence No. 03E0964 was summarised as follows; 'Four temporary pad foundation pits were mechanically excavated on the site. One pit was excavated at the rear of No. 13 Ormond Quay and three along the site boundary with No. 10 Strand Street. The modern basement level was 1.9m OD, and the pits were excavated up to 2m below this level. The site lies on reclaimed land. Speed’s map of 1610 depicts the area, known as The Pill, as having several creeks, channels and river inlets. The reclamation process began in the early 17th century and development of the area took place later in the century. By the early 18th century, houses fronting onto the quay, with stables and other buildings to the rear, are well established (Brooking 1728 and Rocque 1756). The assessment of this site revealed, as expected, 17th- and early 18th-century reclamation layers containing German stonewares and North Devon wares. Eighteenth-century structural remains were also identified. These included property boundaries, internal walls and cellar remains. The development included a basement level and a dense piling layout that would impact negatively on the identified archaeology. Teresa Bolger carried out the rescue excavation prior to construction' (Excavations.ie 2003:562). Excavation by Teresa Bolger in 2003 under licence No. 03E0964 ext. was summarised as; 'An assessment and programme of monitoring of temporary groundworks was undertaken by Christine Baker and Abi Cryerhall in July and August 2003 at a development site at 14 Ormond Quay/11–14 Strand Street, Dublin 2. This established the presence of structural remains dating from the 18th and 19th century overlying deep deposits of land reclamation material (No. 562 above). The new building will form an extension to the Morrison Hotel, Ormond Quay. The facade and front section of No. 14 Ormond Quay have been retained. The southern section of the new building is supported on a piled foundation, with a basement in the northern section supported by a secant pile wall. An excavation was carried out at the site in September 2003 by Teresa Bolger, followed by monitoring of groundworks. The excavation was divided into two areas. Area A was in the north-east quadrant of the site. It measured a maximum of 12.75m by 6.75m and was excavated to a maximum depth of –0.996 OD. Area B was in the south-east quadrant of the site and measured 14m by 6m at its widest point. It was an L-shaped trench, the horizontal part of the L being at its northern end. This part of the trench was excavated to the level of natural geological strata, c. –0.7 OD. The long narrow part of the L, at its southern end, was not excavated to natural for safety reasons. Two main phases of activity were identified in both areas. The earliest phase of activity appears to relate to 17th-century land reclamation. The land-reclamation deposits at the site were mainly characterised by deep layers of compact redeposited natural clays. In addition to a range of 17th-century pottery types, these deposits also produced a selection of medieval floor tiles, including examples of plain mosaic, two-colour, line-impressed and relief tiles. The second phase of activity was characterised by structural remains associated with the applotment of the site, in the late 17th/early 18th century, for commercial and residential use. The remaining groundworks at the site are the subject of ongoing monitoring' (excavations.ie 2003:563). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 15 November 2022