House — 17th century in Hoop's-Lot

On the SE side of Golden Bridge. According to White (1892, 53), the house adjoining Golden bridge at its SE end was both a club house and a dwelling, possibly dating from the 17th century but certainly no later than the opening years of the 18th century. This is testified by a stone (now lost) inscribed with the date 1705 and the initials F.M.C. which was formerly displayed in the facade of the building. The initials are thought to be those of Florence McCarthy who managed the club for Lord ClanWilliam. When the premises ceased to be a club is not known. It was the private residence of Captain Ryan at one time and c. 1837 members of the 69th Regiment were quartered there. During archaeological excavations in this area in 1997 a building of late 17th/early 18th century date was uncovered (Moran 1998, 162). This may be the club house described by White. Excavations in 1998 established that the remains of the 'clubhouse' survived in fairly good condition, buried below flood silts and deliberate infill on the edge of the flood-plain (Moran 2000, 194). A further excavation in 2001 (Moran 2003, 383) revealed the plan of the clubhouse, a rectangular mortared stone building alongside the street with a slipway to the rear, sloping down to the river. Outbuildings and cobbled yards were found further back. The clubhouse had several wooden-floored rooms and at least one fireplace built into the rear wall (and apparently none in the gables). An extension towards the river reused the site of an earlier building with clay-bonded stone walls. Pottery dating from the 17th and 18th centuries was found associated with these buildings. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 18 February 2013