A11.1 Conventions and Legislation

Transcription

1 A11.1 Conventions and Legislation

2 A11.1 Conventions and Legislation Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act The Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 ensures the protection of the archaeological heritage resource by requiring that all applications under this Act are accompanied by an EIS including information on material assets, including the architectural and archaeological heritage, and the cultural heritage. The National Monuments Act 1930 to 2004 Irish legislation for the protection of archaeological heritage is based on the National Monuments Acts 1930 and amendments of 1954, 1987, 1994 and These acts are the principal statutes governing the care of monuments in the Irish Republic. They provide for the protection of national monuments through the use of preservation orders. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has a specific role in relation to the protection of the archaeological heritage through powers provided by these acts and the National Cultural Institutions Act The overall state archaeological service is provided by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and delivered through the Planning and Heritage Section of the DoAHG and the National Museum of Ireland (Irish Antiquities Division) on behalf of the Minister. Monuments are protected under the National Monuments Acts in a number of ways: National Monuments in the ownership or guardianship of the Minister or a local authority. A National Monument is a monument under preservation by the State, as a result of its being considered to be of national importance. The legal basis for this status is the National Monuments Acts 1930 to The original national monuments Act was enacted in 1930 updating an original inventory of monuments comprised of those to which the Ancient Monuments Protection Act, 1882 applied. The most recent amendment in 2004 includes provisions for the partial or complete destruction of National Monuments by the Government. Only a small section of our monuments are in state ownership. The remainder are protected by the state under the National Monuments Acts but the care and preservation of these features depends largely on the interests and respect of individuals. National Monuments, which are subject to a preservation order; where it appears to the Minister that a monument, considered to be a national monument, is in danger or is actually being destroyed or falling into decay the Minister may, by preservation order or temporary preservation order, undertake the preservation of the monument. A temporary preservation order will remain in force for six months and then expire. Historic monuments or archaeological areas recorded in the Register of Historic Monuments; contains a list of all historic monuments known to the Minister. Owners or occupiers must not, other than with consent, alter, deface, demolish or in any manner interfere with a historic monument entered in the register (National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1987) Monuments recorded in the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP). All known sites and monuments are identified and listed for protection in the Record of Monuments and Places, a 1

3 statutory inventory of sites protected under the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, Monuments entered into it are referred to as Recorded Monuments. Owners or occupiers of Recorded Monuments are required to give two month s notice to the Minister and obtain consent before carrying out any works in relation to the monument. This is to allow the National Monuments Service time to consider the proposed works and how best to proceed to further the protection of the monument. For national monuments in the ownership or guardianship of the Minister or a local authority or which are subject to a preservation order, the prior written consent of the Minister is required for any works at or in proximity to the monument. The RMP consists of a set of 6 maps of the different counties with an accompanying index which shows all the sites, monuments and zones of archaeological potential, recorded to date and protected in the county. The inventory concentrates on pre 1700 AD sites. The European Landscape Convention 2000 In 2002 Ireland ratified the European Landscape Convention - also known as the Florence Convention, which promotes the protection, management and planning of European landscapes and organises European co-operation on landscape issues. It is the first international treaty to be exclusively concerned with all dimensions of European landscape. The Convention came into force on 1 March 2004 and is part of the Council of Europe s work on natural and cultural heritage, spatial planning and the environment. It applies to the entire territory of the ratified parties and relates to natural, urban and suburban areas, whether on land, water or sea. It therefore concerns not just remarkable landscapes but also ordinary everyday landscapes. The European Landscape Convention introduces the concept of landscape quality objectives into the protection, management and planning of geographical areas. The Planning and Development Act 2000 Under arrangements which came into operation on 1 January 2000 (The Planning and Development Act 2000), the system of listing buildings was replaced with strengthened procedures for the preservation of protected structures and structures in architectural conservation areas (ACA). A protected structure is a structure that a local authority considers to be of special interest from an architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical point of view. Details of protected structures are entered by the authority in its Record of Protected Structures (RPS), which is part of the development plan. Each owner and occupier of a protected structure is legally obliged to ensure that the structure is preserved. The legislation obligates planning authorities to preserve the character of places and townscapes which are of special architectural, historic, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest or that contribute to the appreciation of protected structures, by designating them ACA in their development plan. The Act also provides comprehensive protection for landscapes including views, prospects and the amenities of places and features of natural beauty or interest under a local authority s development plan. A development plan is required to include objectives for the preservation of the character of the landscape including the preservation of views and prospects. A planning authority may also designate, for the purposes of preservation, landscape conservation areas. 2

4 The Architectural Heritage and Historic Properties Act, 1999 The Architectural Heritage (National Inventory) and Historic Properties (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, was promulgated in 1999 as a direct response to the Granada Convention (see below). The Act provides for the establishment of a national inventory of architectural heritage and for related matters and to provide for the obligations of local sanitary authorities in respect of registered historic monuments. Although this Act provides no direct protection for architectural sites, it is used by local authorities to inform the compilation of their Record of Protected Structures which, under the Planning and Development Act 2000, does afford legal protection. European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (Valletta Convention), 1997 In 1997 the Republic of Ireland ratified the Council of Europe European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (the Valletta Convention ). Obligations under the Convention include: provision for statutory protection measures, including the maintenance of an inventory of the archaeological heritage and the designation of protected monuments and areas; the authorisation and supervision of excavations and other archaeological activities; providing for the conservation and maintenance of the archaeological heritage (preferably in situ) and providing appropriate storage places for remains removed from their original locations; providing for consultation between archaeologists and planners in relation to the drawing up of Development Plans and development schemes so as to ensure that full consideration is given to archaeological requirement, making or updating surveys, inventories and maps of archaeological sites and taking practical measures to ensure the drafting, following archaeological operations, of a publishable scientific record before the publication of comprehensive studies and preventing the illicit circulation of elements of the archaeological heritage, including co-operation with other states party to the convention. European Convention on the Protection of the Architectural Heritage (Granada Convention), 1997 Also in 1997 the Republic of Ireland ratified the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe (the Granada Convention ). Obligations under this convention include maintenance of inventories of architectural heritage, provision of statutory measures to protect the architectural heritage, the adoption of integrated conservation policies, which include the protection of the architectural heritage as an essential town and country planning objective, developing public awareness of the value of conserving architectural heritage etc. UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 1972 In an international context Ireland is a ratified member of The World Heritage Convention, adopted by UNESCO in The Convention provides for the identification, conservation and preservation of cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value for inclusion in a world heritage list. The World Heritage status is a non-statutory designation and no additional statutory controls result from this designation. However the impact of proposed development upon a World Heritage Site will be a key material consideration in determining planning applications. 3

5 A11.2 Archaeological and Historical Background

6 A11.2 Archaeological and Historical Background Mesolithic Period The Mesolithic (middle stone age) people were the first inhabitants of Ireland, arriving about 9000 years ago. They were a mobile society relying on wild resources for food, which was hunted and gathered using stone tools as well as boats, nets and traps. Settlement was in temporary and semi-permanent groups of huts constructed of wood slung with hide, which may have operated as seasonal or hunting camps. Mesolithic activity to date shows a marked concentration in the northeast of Ireland. In many cases, the edges of coastal estuarine areas were the preferred location of Mesolithic (c BC 4000 BC) settlement. This is well attested to in the wider study area by the excavations carried out at Sutton in the 1940 s and 1970 s. Here, a shell midden was uncovered, which had been formed when Howth was an Island. The excavations produced artefacts of flint, chert and stone. Radiocarbon dates suggest a sixth millennium provenance with a later hearth in the midden being dated to BC. Neolithic Period Farming was first adopted in the Middle East but spread gradually across Europe in succeeding centuries, arriving in Ireland about 4000 BC. Tending of crops and animals required a more sedentary lifestyle and larger permanent settlements were built. The megalithic (from the Greek mega large and lith stone) monuments of the Neolithic people built as communal tombs or for ceremonial purposes, are relatively common in the landscape. New methods were adopted for shaping stone tools and the first long distance trade networks were established. The earliest substantial evidence for human habitation in this area dates to the Neolithic period (c BC 2500 BC). The most immediate evidence comes from the excavations at Lambay Island. Lambay Island is an important site, with excavations indicating significant axe manufacturing capabilities and further Neolithic activity. The Bronze Age As stone tools were replaced by the use of copper, later combined with tin to make bronze, the structure of society also changed over centuries. While some communal megalithic monuments, particularly wedge tombs continued to be used, the Bronze Age is characterised by a movement towards single burial and the production of prestige items and weapons, suggesting that society was increasingly stratified and warlike. Fulachta fiadh, are also called burnt mounds, were an integral component of the Bronze Age landscape and provide significant evidence of activity in areas with little evidence of artifact deposition. Usually they consist of horseshoe-shaped heaps of heat-fractured stone mixed with charcoal and dark soil, associated with lined rectangular water troughs and hearths. The evidence for settlement in the Bronze Age is dominated by circular enclosures with internal circular buildings, often dating to the later part of the period. Hillforts were constructed during the Late Bronze Age, with associated funerary activity. 1

7 Early Historic Period In late Bronze Age Ireland the use of the metal reached a high point with the production of high quality decorated weapons, ornament and instruments, often discovered from hoards or ritual deposits. The Iron Age however is known as a dark age in Irish prehistory. Iron objects are found rarely, but there is no evidence for the warrior culture of the rest of Europe, although the distinctive La Tène style of art with animal motifs and spirals was adopted. Life in Iron Age in Ireland seems to have been much as it was in the early historic period mixed farmers living in or around small defended settlements known as ringforts or stone cashels. The ringfort is the most numerous archaeological monument in the Irish landscape and they are generally believed to have been the defended farmsteads of a free farming class in the early Medieval period. In late Bronze Age Ireland the use of the metal reached a high point with the production of high quality decorated weapons, ornament and instruments, often discovered from hoards or ritual deposits. The Iron Age however is known as a dark age in Irish prehistory. Iron objects are found rarely, but there is no evidence for the warrior culture of the rest of Europe, although the distinctive La Tené style of art with animal motifs and spirals was adopted. Life in Iron Age in Ireland seems to have been much as it was in the early historic period mixed farmers living in or around small defended settlements known as ringforts or stone cashels. In late Bronze Age Ireland the use of the metal reached a high point with the production of high quality decorated weapons, ornament and instruments, often discovered from hoards or ritual deposits. The Iron Age however is known as a dark age in Irish prehistory. Iron objects are found rarely but there is no evidence for the warrior culture of the rest of Europe although the distinctive La Tené style of art with animal motifs and spirals was adopted. Life in Iron Age in Ireland seems to have been much as it was in the early historic period mixed farmers living in or around small defended settlements known as ringforts or stone cashels. Ringforts, hilltop enclosures and other large enclosures are common across the county, both as raths (defended settlements defined by an earthen bank) and cashels (defined by a bank of stone). The smaller ringfort settlements are the most common monuments in south Clare and are thought to be small farmsteads, enclosing houses, farm buildings and animal pens, enclosed as protection against raiders or wild animals. Excavations of the interiors suggest that the houses were small circular huts, built of stakes with a double skin of wattle and a thatched roof. Their distribution in the region is dispersed and widespread. There are numerous ringforts close to the subject site. The low lying coastal plain and mouth of the Liffey would have attracted settlers from earliest times. There are enclosures recorded inmalahide, Grange, and Clontarf. Viking Dublin Viking Burials in Viking/ Hiberno Norse Dyflin The concentration of Viking burials in the area around the Dublin city centre attests to the significance of this site in the 9/10th centuries A.D. The four Viking cemeteries of Kilmainham, Islandbridge, Castleknock to the west of Dublin city and Palace Row on the north side have been discovered since the 19th century (O Floinn 1998, 132; Harrison 2001, 65). Discoveries of isolated Viking burials have been made at College Green, Parnell Square, Cork Street, Bride Street and Kildare Street, Dollymount Strand and Donnybrook (Aylesbury Road) from the 19th century. The latter constitutes the nearest recorded monument to the development area. These have been augmented by excavations at Ship Street Great and Stephen Street, Dublin (Simpson 2002) which revealed a single ninth century Viking male with accompanying 2

8 gravegoods adjacent to the church of St. Michael le Pole and St. Peters to the south of the subsequent walled Hiberno-Norse town. Four further Viking burials dating to around the 9th century A.D. were discovered during excavations again by Linzi Simpson at South Great George s Street in The site was located just 200m east of Ship Street Great on the southeastern rim of the Black Pool which the town of Dublin takes its name from. A further ninth century Viking furnished grave was finally excavated at Golden Lane, Dublin immediately outside the possible ecclesiastical enclosure at St. Michael le Pole s church in 2005 by Edmond O Donovan (2005). Simpson has suggested that the combined evidence attests to the burial of high status Viking warriors around the southern edges of the Black Pool to the south of the confluence of the Liffey and Poddleinthe ninth century. The distribution of 9/10th century Viking burials then suggests the presence of a number of cemeteries in the environs of the subsequent Hiberno-Norse settlement at the confluence of the Liffey and Poddle as well as a number of ninth century high status Viking warriors spread out along the southern banks of the Blackpool. Viking/Norse Burial Rite Extended inhumation in unlined graves appears to have been the dominant rite of Viking burial in Ireland. Grave goods are common, and of course in furnished burials are there by definition. A large sepulchral mound was excavated in the 19th century at Donnybrook, Co. Dublin (Hall 1978). It contained a furnished Viking burial accompanied by two other inhumations in a mound that contained Christian burials and has been regarded in the past as a burial in a mass grave of victims of Viking raids. O Brien (1992) in a paper in Medieval Archaeology has subsequently reappraised this evidence and it is likely that it simply represents the burial of a Viking individual in an earlier or contemporary Irish burial ground. Later Historic to Modern Period As the town grew, its importance as a trading and ecclesiastical site was confirmed. It also marked Dublin out as a prized possession. In 1170 a Norman-Irish army captured the town and, despite attempts to dislodge them, the Normans gave the town its first royal charter and it became the seat of their leader, Hugh de Lacy. The establishment of a viable Norman lordship, with Dublin at its core, was furthered by the construction of Dublin Castle following a 1204 decision of King John. Dublin Castle, a huge stone fort, was established to administer Ireland as an entity distinct from London, with its own treasury and seat of justice. Under the Normans, Dublin developed into a city, its importance reflected in the presence of two cathedrals and a host of large monastic settlements. The prosperity of its trading links drew up to 20,000 people to live there, before the arrival from Europe of the Black Death, the bubonic and pneumonic plague, in the summer of The population of the city was devastated and did not properly recover for several centuries, partly due to the occasional return of the plague. By the beginning of the 17th century Dublin City had extended little beyond its medieval limits with the exception of a small extension north to the river. At the close of the Cromwellian period the town wall, with its eight gates and nine towers was in poor repair; the cathedrals and parish churches were in ruins and the abbeys and friaries were gone. In the early 18th century propelled by attempts by the state to assert its power through the courts and through parliament, as well as by a renewed prosperity in trade, the city began again to 3

9 expand. This expansion increased the urban population to 60,000 and this regeneration had seen the descendants of the original Norman conquerors replaced by a new Protestant elite of landed gentry, merchants, and professionals. Other Protestant migrants from England, France and Holland came to live in Dublin as a new class took control of city government. This municipal authority, along with the increasingly powerful central government operating from Dublin Castle, oversaw a rapid expansion of the city. By the 1820s the number of people living in Dublin climbed towards 250,000. This substantial growth rested on a variety of factors the expansion of Dublin Port as a transit point for goods, the emergence of highly-skilled trades in the city, the provision of financial services, the importance of the courts, the growth of higher education and others. A new Dublin emerged. Two canals, the Royal and the Grand, were built and came, in time, to represent the city s boundaries. The streets were reshaped by the Wide Street Commissioners from their appointment in Many of its landmark buildings were constructed, not least major public buildings such as the Custom House, the Four Courts, Leinster House and Parliament House, and the squares and streets of Georgian Dublin were laid out. Local Area Histories Beggers Bush and Baggotrath Baggotrath takes its name originally from the Bagot family who built a castle on what is now Upper Baggot St, Dublin. In 1379 these lands were acquired by William Fitzwilliam and became the nucleus for the great Fitzwilliam/Pembroke estate. Baggotrath Castle was wrecked 1649 in the time of the Royalist 1st Viscount Fitzwilliam. The castle was abandoned, and fell into total ruin in the early 1700s. Baggotrath Castle was visited by Austin Cooper in 1778 and described by him in1780. The ruins were finally demolished in the early 1800s (after 1821) as the area around the Grand Canal was developed. The usual explanation of the place name Beggars Bush is that the area was a haunt for highwaymen or beggars in the 18th Century. This is erroneous as the name is first recorded in It is likely that the name is simply an Anglicisation of Baggotrath. In the early 18th century this area was a delta or slobland formed at the confluence of the Swan Water, the Dodder and the Liffey following its embankment and reclaimation, it became known as New Holland, possibly on account of the desperadoes resorting there, the original New Holland having been a convict colony. This old name has now almost passed out of living memory, but is commemorated in the names " New Holland " in New- bridge Avenue, and " New Holland Lodge," until recently in Bath Avenue. Reclamation works were initially part of the development of Sir John Rogerson s Quay in However it was Councillor William Vavasour s works that transformed the area. Vavasour took a 150-year lease at 80 per annum on an area of sixty acres of marshland between Beggars' Bush and Ringsend in According to The Dublin Chronicle of the time he intends immediately to reclaim by a complete double embankment of the Dodder, which, thus confined to a determined channel, will then form an handsome canal through it; a circumstance that will not only ornament an unsightly spot, but materially improve the salubrity of the air at Irishtown, Ringsend. The works took six years to complete and appears as a channel on the 1st edition OS map. 4

10 One of the big employers along the Dodder at the turn of the 18th century was the Haig Distillery acquired by Rober Haigh, a Scottish whisky magnate in 1795.The site was accessed from the west via a stone weir. The distillery had frequent conflicts with the Revenue authorities. Local lore tells of encounters with excise officers in its earlier years, and the rumour went that several of these unpopular functionaries had "disappeared while investigating the company. Haig undoubtedly fought the Revenue both legally and physically by every means that his ingenuity could devise, but being beaten, he finally had to succumb. In the end, his concern was ultimately dismantled. A local builder purchased the old buildings some years afterwards, and it was understood that he affected an excellent bargain, as the debris included a great quantity of copper tubing and machinery. By 1875 the stones from the old building were utilized in laying down the foundations for Herbert road. The Railway Bridge linking Herbert Road to Landsdowne road was built in 1834, it was washed away that same year by a severe flood and replaced by a wooden bridge that appears on the 1st edition map. A new iron railway bridge was built in Ballsbridge and SimmonsCourt In medieval times, there were two roads leading from Dublin City, one road ran from Dublin Castle to St. Stephen s Green then branched; the other went through Merrion Row, Baggot Street, Pembroke Street and Blackrock, crossing the Dodder by a fragile wooden bridge. The name Simmonscourt is derived from the green of Smothescourt where it is recorded that Thomas Smothe built a walled-in enclosure or court for the safe-keeping of cattle at night. This subsequently became a place of recreation, and Dublin citizens were wont to resort to Simmonscourt on festive occasions. Following the rebellion of 1641 and the subsequent Cromwellian wars a George Hill was recorded as occupying these lands. After the Restoration William Fitzwilliam lived in the castle which at this stage was falling into ruin. As the road to Blackrock, Kingstown and Dalkey via Stephen's Green and Baggot Street, represents one of the most ancient highways from Dublin, it is highly probable that even from the earliest times, the Dodder was spanned by a bridge at this point, though, no doubt, long periods often elapsed between the decay or destruction of one bridge and the erection of its successor. During the 15th and 16th centuries when, owing to the difficulty of navigating the Liffey, Dalkey was the Port of Dublin and there must have been a continual traffic with passengers and. merchandise along this road, and, as the river Dodder can hardly ever have been fordable here, it would have been impossible to convey the heavy cargoes of goods into Dublin in the absence of a bridge of some description. It is noted that in the 16th century following the failure of the corporation to raise money to repair a bridge in the area an order was issued that every householder provide a man for the ending of the work of the bridge at Smothscourt. It is further recorded that in the late half of the 17th century Dublin Corporation voted the sum of 10 for the repair an improvement of the bridge. At the beginning of the 18th century, a house named Ball s House was built at Simmonscourt this was occupied until In 1791, a bridge was built across the Dodder on the side of the present Ballsbridge and became known as Ball s Bridge. Towards the end of the 18th century Counsellor Whittingham and Mr. Turlock are mentioned as chief residents of Simmonscourt. In the early part of the 19th century Duffy's calico print works opened at Ballsbridge and gave employment to some five hundred hands from the neighbourhood, the bleach green extended along the western side of the Dodder the whole way to the Fair Green at Donnybrook. The concern was ultimately purchased by a syndicate of Manchester firms, who closed and dismantled 5

11 it to crush out Irish competition. All this locality was recorded as being quite rural, and the Dodder flowed through the fields between sloping green banks instead of, as at present, between stone embankments. Pembroke Township This township consisted of a number of distinct areas: Ballsbridge, Donnybrook, Sandymount, Irishtown and Ringsend. The land was once owned by Fitzwilliam family who began accumulating on the South side of Dublin city in the mid-1300s, over the centuries they acquired land at Dundrum, Baggotrath, Merrion, Simmonscourt and Mount Merrion. The 6th Viscount Fitzwilliam began a massive development of the area in the mid-18th cent, which soon turned it into Dublin's most desirable area, this was continued by the 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam, who left the estate to his relative the 11th Earl of Pembroke in 1816,since then it was known as the "Pembroke" Estate. The area as fashionable place of residence grew all through the 19th century. Pembroke generally was largely inhabited by professionals of Protestant religion who promoted the development of large houses outside the financial reach of many middle and working class families. The estate had a great deal of influence on the activities of the commissioners, and also made donations of land for the use of the township. This influence ended when a more democratically elected urban district council replaced the commissioners in The township was governed by commissioners until 1899 when it became an Urban District. In 1930 the Pembroke Urban District Council became part of the jurisdiction of the City of Dublin and its administration was taken over by Dublin City Council. Pembroke had an omnibus service in the 1860s, one every 30 minutes. The trams were introduced in 1861 by an American gentleman, Mr. Train, but did not get off the ground until the early 1870s. The Dublin Kingstown railway ran through the Pembroke Township, but only from the late 1860 s did the question of building stations arise, at Sydney Parade and Lansdowne Road. Thereafter, these seem to have been used mainly for the Dublin Horse Show and not for regular commuter traffic. In the late 19th century The Earl of Pembroke gave the land that bears his family s name, Herbert Park to Dublin City Council. In 1907 the park was used for the Irish International Exhibition, where a pavilion was created for British, colonial and foreign exhibits, as well as electricity and machinery annexes. During the 1916 Rising, Pembroke Town Hall was occupied by the Military H.Q. Staff and martial law was in force. On Sunday, 30th April, 1916, Commandant Eamonn De Valera received the order to surrender. In the RDS showgrounds, 117 volunteers were herded together in horse -boxes. De Valera, however, was treated as an officer and placed under guard in Pembroke Town Hall. 6

12 Donnybrook There are different views of the origin of the name Donnybrook, but most agree that it probably derives from the Irish name Domhnach-broc, which means the Church of Broc. Broc was one of the seven daughters of Dallbronach from Deece in County Meath. She is mentioned by Aengus the Culdee of the monastery of Tallaght in two manuscripts preserved in the Book of Leacan, which dates from the latter half of the eighth century. The church is said to have been located in the present Donnybrook Graveyard. More recently, a granite base for a wooden cross dating from the eighth or ninth century was found in the area. In the late 12th century Archbishop Comyn of Dublin dedicated St. Mary s Church that continued in use till the 1820 s. All that remains of this structure today is a small section of wall. There is still a religious house near the Donnybrook Graveyard, but it is not Broc's convent, nor either of the two St. Mary's churches; it is a more recent establishment, belonging to the Irish Sisters of Charity. The Donnybrook convent of the Irish Sisters of Charity was created in 1837, when Mother Mary Aikenhead purchased Donnybrook Castle, a large house with extensive grounds, and moved her Magdalen Home from Townsend Street to these new quarters. Mother Mary Aikenhead died on 22 July 1858 and her remains are interred in a small crypt on the grounds of the Donnybrook convent. A new Catholic church was erected in 1866 on the south bank of the River Dodder, overlooking the fair grounds. It was dedicated to the Sacred Heart in order to atone for the sins of Donnybrook Fair. The church was designed by Pugin and Ashlin and was built of granite with Bath stone dressings at a cost of 6,000. It was dedicated by Dr. Paul Cullen, the Cardinal Archbishop, on 26 August The most notorious aspect of Donnybrooks history was the annual Fair which was granted a royal charter by King John. Originally for cattle trading, it expanded into a vast cultural festival which ran for two weeks each year from 26th August. In 1778 one writer complained of the effects of the Donnybrook Fair: "How irksome it was to friends of the industry and well-being of Society to hear that upwards of 50,000 persons visited the fair on the previous Sunday, and returned to the city like intoxicated savages." (Freeman's Journal 31 August 1778, as quoted in The Humours of Donnybrook p. 35). The fair was certainly popular, but from the early nineteenth century onwards, there was a concerted effort by the forces of sobriety to bring about its demise. The fair which had now become a byword for excessive drinking, carousing and faction fighting was finally banned in The site of the fair is currently occupied by Bective Rangers Rugby Football Club. In 1879 a burial mound from the Viking era was found in Donnybrook, containing the remains of 600 to 700 bodies. It was unearthed by workmen who were digging foundations on Seaview Terrace. Examination of the burial mound revealed that the bodies, except for one, were Celtic men, women and children, probably murdered in a savage Viking raid. 7

13 A11.3 Cartographic Background

14 A11.3 Cartographic Background Cartographic Research Analysis of historic mapping shows how the landscape has changed over time. The comparison of editions of historic maps can show how some landscape features have been created, altered or removed over a period of time. Sometimes features that appear on these early maps are found to be of potential archaeological significance during fieldwork. For this study the following historic maps were consulted: John Roques Map of Dublin 1756 First edition Ordnance Survey 6 Maps circa 1830; and Second edition Ordnance Survey 25 Maps circa Roque was the foremost surveyor and cartographer in Britain in the mid 18th century his map of Dublin comprising 4 sheets was commissioned by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and shows the subject area along the River Dodder prior to it being canalised. Originally the river followed a natural course with flood plains extending from either bank. Nearer the river mouth between Irishtown and the South Lots the river bifurcated into a number of tributaries surrounded by marsh and slob lands. Roque s map references Donnybrook village and Ballsbridge and indicates the site of Baggotrath Castle and Simmonscourt. Also featured are a windmill on the western bank of the Dodder and two bridges near the site of the present day New Bridge and Anglesea Bridge. 1

15 Figure 1: John Roque s Map of Dublin 1756 showing study area. The First Edition map depicts the study area along the River Dodder from Donnybrook to Beggers Bush as comprising both agricultural and industrial areas interspersed with a number of big houses and clusters of roadside dwellings. The river as an economic resource has been harnessed and provides power for a Bleach Mill, a Flour Mill, a Saw mill, the Calico Printing Factory and Haigh s Distillery. Other significant complexes include a hat factory, and quarry in the Donnybrook area and the Hammersmith Works and Military Barracks in Beggers Bush. The notable houses in the area include Donnybrook Castle, Annefield House, and Simmonscourt House and Castle with associated gardens. The River itself follows its existing course with no major deviations. From Donnybrook northwards there are three bridges; Anglesea Bridge, Balls Bridge and a wooden bridge built by the Dublin and Kingstown Railway Company. Elsewhere there are fording points or crossings at the Distillery and west of the Simmonscourt Estate. There are a number of weirs marked along the length of its course. 2

16 Figure 2: Extract from OS 1st ed. 6 map showing Donnybrook and Anglesea area. 3

17 Figure 3: Extract from OS 1st ed. 6 map showing Ballsbridge and Beggarsbush. The Second Edition Map ( ) reflects the growth of metropolitan Dublin and the land demands to house a burgeoning middle and working class. From the 1860s the inner suburbs grew year after year. By 1911 Rathmines and Pembroke accounted for up to half of the suburban population of Dublin, many of whom were clerical workers. Reflecting the more suburban nature of the Pembroke area many of the old factories been replaced by parks and sporting grounds including the development of Herbert Park, the Royal Dublin Society s Agricultural Premises and a football pitch at Lansdowne. The areas infrastructure underlines its importance as a commuter hub with improved roads, bridges and rail and tramlines. 4

18 A11.4 Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) / Record of Monuments and Places (RMP)

19 A11.4 Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) / Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) A review of the Record of Monument and Places (RMP) dataset identified 10 sites found within 1km of the proposed scheme. A full inventory of the RMPS is listed in the following table. Table 1: Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) / Record of Monuments and Places (RMP). RMP No Classification Townland Name ITM Reference (E,N) Distance to Development Predicted Impact DU DU DU DU DU DU DU DU DU DU Bridge, known as New Bridge between Herbert and Lansdowne road Bridge, Known as Ballsbridge Dublin South City , m None Dublin South City , m Possibly an impact to southern parapet Bridge,(fording site) Donnybrook East , m Significant Mill - unclassified Donnybrook East , m None Mill - unclassified Donnybrook East , m None Water mill Donnybrook East , m None Mill - unclassified Donnybrook East , m None House - 16th/17th Donnybrook East , m None century Ritual site - holy well, Dublin South City , m None marked on the location of Angelsea Bridge Bridge Dublin South City , m None 1

20 RMP No DU Classification Bridge, indicated on the OS map as New Bridge Location Within the subject area, Stone Bridge linking Lansdowne Road to Herbert Road Description There is a ford and weir marked in this location on the First Edition 6 Map ( ) that links Beggers Bush to Sandymount but significantly there is no notation for a bridge. The crossing as it appears on the 1837 map would have connected a private Road leading westward from Haig s Distillery (now the location of the Sandymount Hotel) across the Dodder River to what is now Lansdowne Road. The Distillery was founded by Robert Haig the Scottish Whisky Magnate and was set on 21 acres of land. It operated from 1789 to 1860 and was powered by a sluice running wheel set on the river. It is likely that the Distillery was responsible for building the first bridge, possibly of wooden construction when they were harnessing the river and that this was subsequently replaced be the tripled arched structure that exists today. The Second Edition 25 map ( ) shows a considerable change in the development of the area. The Distillery has been replaced by suburban development and new roads have been laid out including Herbert Road and Newbridge Road. The name of the latter suggests that the Masonry Bridge (which is not named on the Map (but has an Ordnance Datum point marked on it) was a relatively recent edition i.e. mid to late 19th century. The Bridge has three segmental arches standing on two cutwaters with a three course parapet. It is constructed of cut limestone and granite blocks. The bridge is very similar in design to the nearby London bridge dated Plate 1: Newbridge from the south 2

21 RMP No DU Classification Bridge Location Description Within the subject area, known as Ball s Bridge linking the R118Merrion Road (E) to both Pembroke Road and Shelbourne Road (W). Three arched stone bridge with balustrade parapet over two cutwaters. A central plaque bears the legend Balls Bridge, erected 1791, rebuilt 1835, widened and improved in The first bridge erected at this point was built in 1751 and appears on John Roque s map of Dublin (1756), this was later replaced with the bridge featured on the 1st edition map indicated as Balls Bridge leading north west to Hammersmith Place (now Pembroke Road). There is a weir marked to the south and the river has been harnessed by the nearby Calico Factory with associated Bleaching Green. By the time of the 2nd edition, urban development has transformed the area into the familiar street plan that exists today. The bridge has been widened and carries a tram line. The old weir has been replaced with a more formal construction to the south of the bridge. RMP No DU Classification Bridge Location Description Within the subject area, along the river between Herbert Park and Merrion Cricket Club Although classified as a bridge it is noted on the 1st edition map as a ford. This crossing is indicated as a path on both sides of the river leading east west towards Donnybrook village. There is no evidence for the crossing on the 2nd edition map. RMP s No s DU ,3, 17 & 18 Classification 3 unclassified Mills and a water mill Location Description On western bank of Dodder NE of Donnybrook village This area features a mill race, bleach mill, a windmill stump and a mill pond on the 1st edition map. Further south there is a saw mill. By the 2nd edition survey these have been replaced by new dwellings including Tracy s cottages and Eglinton Terrace. The mill race however is still extant. This area is now part of Herbert Park. RMP No DU Classification Ritual Site Location Description Within wider subject area Situated at Eglinton Square Housing Estate which were formerly the grounds of Ballinguile House. A tower-like super structure covers the well. It is accessible from steps. Associated with St. Mobhi (Ó Danachair 1958, 234; 137: Daly 1957, 21). 3

22 RMP No DU Classification Bridge Location Description Anglesea Bridge. Single arched masonry bridge built in 1832, but widened in more recent times to the south. Plate 2: Anglesea Bridge from the south 4

23 Figure 1: Extract from Discovery map showing locations of RMP sites along the Dodder River. 5

24 A11.5 Topographical Files of the National Museum of Ireland

25 A11.5 Topographical Files of the National Museum of Ireland The topographical files of the NMI identify all recorded finds held in the NMI archive that have been donated to the state in accordance with national monuments legislation. The files sometimes include reports on excavations undertaken by NMI archaeologists in the early 20th century. Valuable information that can be gleaned might include the exact location, ground type, depth below ground level and condition when found, of each find. However, the amount and the usefulness of the information available on each find can vary considerably. The Topographical files in the National Museum were consulted for Beggars Bush, Ballsbridge and Donnybrook and the results are as follows:- Nat.Mus. Ref. No. 1962:264 Townland Description Donnybrook Stone axe head, retrieved from No. 5 Waterloo Road. Nat. Mus. Ref. No. 1920:454 Townland Donnybrook Description Gold Spindle ring Nat. Mus. Ref. No. 1920:107 Townland Donnybrook Description Gold ribbon torque (fragment) Nat. Mus. Ref. No. 1920:108 Townland Donnybrook Description Gold ribbon torque (fragment) Nat. Mus. Ref. No. 5286:W139 Townland near Donnybrook Description Pin, bronze found in quarry with several others. Nat. Mus. Ref. No. 1900: 29; 30; 41 Townland Donnybrook Description Recovered from a burial mound, Spindle whorl, bone (29), Comb plate, bone (30),Flake, flint & charcoal (41). Purchased for at the sale of Dr. W. Frazer, Sothebys, 20 March

26 Nat. Mus. Ref. No. 1934: 5952 Townland Ailesbury Road, Donnybrook Description Polishing stone found with bones at Ailesbury Road. Presented by Mr. Abraham Cohen, Cohen & Sons, 20 Lwr Ormond Quay, Dublin. Part of Frazer Collection. Nat. Mus. Ref. No Townland Donnybrook Description Bar, spiral gold (wt. [2]2oz. 3dts, 19grs.) Purchased from Mr.Donnegan, Silversmith for 19s 2d. See Antiq. Committee Minutes, vol.iii, p.187. While not listed in the Topographical Files, it is worth mentioning the Viking sword found by Dr. William Frazer in 1879 during excavations near Mount Errol. In 1879, Sir William Frazer presented to the Royal Irish Academy an account of discoveries made during the levelling of a mound at Donnybrook (Frazer, , p29-55). The mound was found to contain an internment accompanied by a group of weapons including a sword, and also the remnants of an estimated 600 to 700 other people. The burial is not mentioned by Coffey and Armstrong in their publication of the cemetery material from Islandbridge/Kilmainham in 1910 and by the time Bøe visited Ireland to gather information for Norse Antiquities in Ireland, most of the objects listed by Frazer were though to be lost. In 1978, R.A. Hall recognised the sword in the collection of the Castle Museum, Nottingham. In his paper A Viking-age Grave at Donnybrook (1978), Hall discusses the sword and its conservation in the Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton; The sword (Castle Museum Nottingham, Accession number T 608) was acquired by Nottingham Corporation as part of a donation of assorted objects given by W.J. Thompson in the mid-1950s, and has been on display since Two labels on a wooden block to which it was attached gave the following information: Lot 35. Found in the old city, Dublin, Dr. Frazer Collection.Bought at Glendenings Sale Abt 1936.Viking Sword.Very valuable and rare. It is not known who wrote this labe, but as the write was uncertain about the precise date of the sword s purchase, his attribution of it to the Old City, Dublin, rather than Donnybrook, which is three miles away immediately outside the modern city boundary, and his statement that it was discovered in 1880, the year after the investigation at Mount Erroll [sic], need not weigh heavily against the equation of Nottingham Castle Museum T 608 with Frazer s sword from Donnybrook. The sword s unusually elaborate decorative scheme corresponds with that illustrated in Frazer s report, as do its dimensions, and there is little room for doubt that this is the Donnybrook Sword. It has not proved possible to trace its history between 1879 and 1936, or to discover details of its sale in 1936, as Glendining s records were destroyed in the second world war. Note: The Nottingham Castle Museum sword has since been acquired on loan by the National Museum of Ireland and is on display in the Viking display at Kildare Street. 2

27 A11.6 Relevant Archaeological Investigations

28 A11.6 Relevant Archaeological Investigations Dublin 2001: Eglinton Road, Donnybrook Mill-race E0483 Testing was required at the proposed development at 29 Eglinton Road as it straddled Donnybrook s zone of archaeological potential. Twelve trenches were excavated from 11 to 14 June The desktop assessment revealed, through cartographic and documentary analysis, that a postmedieval mill-race was present on the site. These sources also indicated that the area west of the mill-race was used for agricultural activity until the 20th century. The results of the testtrenching confirmed that a known linear gully running along the eastern boundary of the property is a mill-race of post-medieval date. The mill-race extended 60m along the length of the drive, terminating at the east of the walled yard (located to the north-east of the property). It was approximately 5m in width at the south end and 3m at the north end. The mill-race gully was deeper at the southern (approximately 0.8m) than at the northern end (approximately 0.3m deep). The line of the mill-race appears to have been used as a natural property boundary. To the north it veers east and is subsumed into the boundary dividing the property from the Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club, while in the south a modern boundary wall is built over it. The mill-race is also echoed by the presence of a brick-built culvert at the extreme south of the gully extending under Eglinton Road. Cartographic sources have confirmed the presence of the mill-race as far back as 1701.There may have been activity to the west of the site as indicated by the possible archaeological linear features C17 and C19, which appeared at a significant depth. These features yielded no dating evidence and appeared to be artefact-sterile, although the linear cut C17 at the far west did produce evidence for a significant amount of seashell. Evidence from the excavated stratigraphy indicates that there were a number of different soil horizons over the natural geology. Shane Delaney, IAC Ltd, 8 Dungar Terrace, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. 1

29 Dublin 2004:0502 Brookvale House, Donnybrook Mill-race E0602 Testing was carried out as part of planning conditions related to a residential development. Five trenches were excavated using a mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless bucket. Two trenches were excavated across the location of the mill-race, which was still visible running across the site. The revetment walls were found to be extant on both the eastern and western sides and had been constructed using a drystone technique. Fragments of modern china and glass and brownware pottery were retrieved from the fill of the wall and the mill-race was filled with topsoil overlying a flat base. The artefacts confirmed the post-medieval date suggested during excavation of a mill-race at Eglinton Road by Shane Delaney in 2001 (Excavations 2001, No. 351, 01E0483). The presence of an earlier structure was suggested by the existence of a 0.5m-wide foundation trench located in the south-eastern corner of the site. No other remnants of this building were identified and the presence of modern brick and concrete in this foundation trench suggests that this feature was not of any great antiquity. No other features or deposits of archaeological significance were identified during this programme of trial testing. Stuart Halliday, Arch-Tech Ltd, 32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2. 2