18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 1

ANNE CAREY, MA, MUBC, MIAI, ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS CONSULTANT 80 PORTACARRON, BALLYMONEEN ROAD, GALWAY 091 503894/086 8137102 [email protected]

Archaeological Assessment at Nenagh North townland (18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place),

Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. Pre-planning.

Client: Tipperary County Council, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary Consultant: Moore Group, Galway. September, 2019

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 2

CONTENTS

List of Illustrations…………………………………………………………...…...... 3

List of Plates……………………………………………………………………...... 3

List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………….3

1. Background………………………………………………...... ………...... 4

1.1 Introduction……………………………………………...... …...... 4

1.2 Brief………...... ……………...... …...... 4

1.3 Locational Information...... …………………...………...... 6

1.4 The Proposed Development…………………...………...... 6

2. Methodology………………………………………………...... ………...... 7

2.1 Field and Desk Study………………………………………...... 7

2.2 Legislative Context………………………………………………...... 7

2.3 Planning Context………………………………………………………………7

3. Historical Background………………………………………………...... 8

3.1 General Archaeological and Historical Background………...... 8

3.2 Previous Archaeological Work...... 12

3.3 List of Recorded Monuments in Nenagh town……………………………..16

4. Site Description………………………………………………...... 18

5. Impact of Proposed Development...... 20

6. Conclusions and Recommendations…………………...... …………………...21

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 3

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Illus. 1 Site Location Map. Discovery Map. ©Government of Ireland.

Illus. 2 Site Location Map. ©Government of Ireland. Illus. 3 Plan of the Proposed Development. Illus. 4 Historic Mapping. Extract of First Edition OS 6” Sheet TN020, 1839-41. © Government of Ireland. Illus. 5 Historic Mapping. Extract of Second Edition OS 25” Sheet TN020, 1901-2. © Government of Ireland. Illus. 6 Historic Mapping. Extract of Cassini Edition OS 6” Sheet TN020, mid-twentieth century. © Government of Ireland. Illus. 7 Sites surrounding the site of the proposed development in Nenagh town.

LIST OF PLATES

Plate 1 No.’s 14-20 Mitchel St, 18-20Nenagh. Plate 2 No.’s 18-20 Mitchel Street, Nenagh, with Emmet Place visible to left. Plate 3 Emmet Place, from north-east. Plate 4 Extant building on Emmet Place, from north-east.

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 List of all excavation licences held in Nenagh town.

Table 2 Recorded Monuments in Nenagh town.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 4

1.0 Background

1.1 Introduction

This report was compiled by the writer on behalf of Tipperary County Council, through Moore Group, Galway. It is an archaeological assessment on the site of a proposed development at Nenagh North townland (18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place), Co. Tipperary. The development comprises demolition of No.’s 18-20 Mitchel Street to facilitate road widening at the junction of Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary and the construction of a new carpark to the north-east, along Emmet Place. The site of the proposed development is located within the Zone of Notification for a Recorded Monument, RMP No. TN020-037, town.

The site visit was carried on 3rd August, 2019, and the writer would like to acknowledge the assistance of Mr MJ Walsh, Roadplan Consulting, Kilkenny and Declan Moore, Moore Group, Galway.

1.2 Brief

An Archaeological Assessment (Field and Desk Study) has been requested on the site by the client. The brief for the preparation of an Archaeological Assessment was as follows:

A. Historical Research, including cartographic research. B. Site visit. C. Archaeological impact assessment. D. Recommended migratory procedures to avoid/lessen the impact of the development on archaeological or potential archaeological features.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 5

Illus. 1 Site Location Map. Discovery Map. ©Government of Ireland.

Illus. 2 Site Location Map. ©Government of Ireland.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 6

1.3 Locational Information

Townland Nenagh North County Tipperary

OS Map No. TN020 RMP No. TN020-037

Parish Nenagh ITM 586512/679208

1.4 The Proposed Development

The development description for the proposed development is as follows:

The proposed demolition of No.’s 18-20 Mitchel Street Nenagh and the adjoining building backing onto No. 20 Mitchel Street, facing to Emmet Place, and the widening of the junction at Mitchel Street and Emmet Place. The development also includes the construction of a car park at Emmet Place (Illus. 3).

Illus. 3 Plan of the Proposed Development.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 7

2.0 Methodology

An archaeological assessment was carried out on the site. This comprised the following:

2.1 Field and Desk Study

As a starting point, the desk study involved a search of historic sources on both the site and the wider area of Nenagh North townland. The Archaeological Survey of Ireland files were consulted, as were other archaeological reports relating to the area. Recorded Monuments are identified in the text by their numbers beginning ‘RMP No.’. Other written sources were also researched as were aerial photographs and cartographic sources. The database of excavations in Ireland was also consulted. A site visit was then carried out on 3rd August, 2019.

2.2 Legislative Context

The site of the proposed development is within the Zone of Notification for a Recorded Monument (RMP No. TN020-037) and therefore it is subject to the provisions of the National Monuments Acts 1930-2004. The site is also located within an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) and is subject to the provisions of the Local Government Planning and Development Act, 2000.

2.3 Planning Context

Present local authority planning policy is contained within the ‘Nenagh and Environs Development Plan, 2012-2019’ issued by North Tipperary County Council in 2013. The following policy of the N&EDP is particularly relevant to the current development proposal:

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 8

3.0 Historical Background

3.1 General Archaeological and Historical Background

The town of Nenagh is located in the townlands of Nenagh North and Nenagh South, in the parish of Nenagh and in the baronies of Lower Ormond and Upper Ormond in Co. Tipperary (NR). The place name Nenagh derives from the Irish An tAonach which means ‘the place of assembly’1. The earliest reference to a settlement in Nenagh appears in the Annals of the Four Masters where the burning of ‘Aenach thete’, is recorded in 994 and 1056.

The current town of Nenagh is primarily of eighteenth and nineteenth century date. It was built to the south and south-west of a thirteenth century castle which had been associated with a smaller Anglo-Norman settlement, though the line of some of the original streetscape is preserved in the later town (e.g. along Pearse Street). There are no extant remains of the town defences associated with this earlier settlement but it is believed that medieval Nenagh was walled (RMP No. TN020-037006)2. Documentary evidence suggests monies were collected for the construction of fortifications in the fourteenth century and two gates are mentioned in the literature but little is known about the extent of the town defences. Medieval Nenagh would have had ‘burgesses, streets and major buildings’ around the castle3. Though the town of Nenagh was an Anglo-Norman foundation, the influence of the Gaelic Irish families in the area continued through the thirteenth century and increased in the fourteenth century. This influence can clearly be seen in the foundation in c. 1250 of the Franciscan friary (RMP No. TN020-037002), which is located to the south-east of the town centre. It is reputed to have been built by Donal O’Kennedy, Bishop of Killaloe. By the end of the thirteenth century Nenagh became the chief house of the Irish Franciscan order. It is recorded that in 1548 the town and the friary of Nenagh were burned by O’Carroll of Éile. The Franciscan friary was supressed during the Cromwellian era.

Nenagh Castle is a National Monument and a protected structure (Nat. Mon. No. 513, RMP TN020-037001, RPS 5)4. A fine castle, it served as the main seat of the Butlers of Ormond

1 www.logainm.ie

2 Urban Archaeological Survey of County Tipperary North Riding, Part 1, 1994, compiled by Jean Farrelly and Hugh Carey, Archaeological Survey of Ireland, Office of Public Works, p. 50.

3 Ibid. p. 51.

4 Ibid, p. 46.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 9 from its construction in c. 1200-1220 until the second half of the fourteenth century5. It was built by Theobald Walter, who also founded a priory and the hospital of St. John the Baptist at Tyone in c. 1200 (RMP No. TN021-042). This was a foundation of the Augustinian Hospitallers or Fratres Cruciferi6. The settlement associated with the castle was attacked a number of times in the fourteenth century, with the town burnt by the O’Kennedy’s in 1348, and it consequently did not grow significantly. The Butlers bought Kilkenny Castle at the end of the fourteenth century and it became their chief residence instead of Nenagh. The fifteenth century saw the castle occupied by the Irish Mac Ibrien Aradh family but it was retaken by Piers Bulter, Earl of Ossory, in 1533, following the granting to him of Ormond in 1505. Following the burning of Nenagh by the O’Carroll in 1548, it seems the town was re- developed, being also re-constituted as a town as there were no burgesses or burgages. Nenagh surrendered to the Cromwellians after a short siege in the mid-seventeenth century. Around this time it is recorded that Nenagh had a population of 275 people, 68 of whom were English. According to the Civil Survey of 1654, the settlement around Nenagh Castle was little more than a collection of sixty thatched houses. Following the Restoration in 1660 the castle and lands were claimed for the Marchioness of Ormond. A session house and gaol was built in 1696 at Pearse Street but no trace of this survives (RMP No. TN020-037004). A market house, dating to the seventeenth century, was located to the south-west of the prison but this was demolished in 1812 (RMP No. TN020-037005).

The castle was partly dismantled after the Williamite Wars in the 1690s and shortly afterwards the castle and town were sold to Nehemiah Donnellan, Chief Baron of the Exchequer. The manor and lands were inherited by his son, also Nehemiah, who built a house in a picturesque location by the river7, instead of occupying the castle. He sold the town to the Holmes family in 1733 and Nenagh began to grow and develop, achieving a population of 8446 by 1837.8

5 Farrelly, J. and O’Brien, C. 2002 The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1- North Tipperary.

6 Gleeson, DF and Leask HG, 1936 ‘The Castle and Manor of Nenagh’, JRSAI 7th Series, Vol. 6, No. 2, Dec. 31, 1936, pp 247-269.

7 Gleeson, DF 1959 ‘The River of Geagh’ North Munster Antiquarian’s Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 2, pp 53-58.

8 Lewis, S. 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 10

The building stock in the town of Nenagh was constructed from the mid-eighteenth century to the late-nineteenth century, with some the finest of the buildings from the mid-eighteenth century located at Summerhill, to the east and north-east of the castle. Much of the public architecture, including Nenagh Courthouse and the prison complex, dates from the mid- nineteenth century and is located to the west of the castle. The streets to the south, including Kenyon Street and Silver Street, contain a mixture of eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings.

The basic street plan of the current town, described by Lewis as ‘four streets meeting in the centre’, was in place in the eighteenth century. These streets comprise Mitchel Street, Pearse Street, Kenyon Street and Silver Street. According to Sheehan, Mitchel Street bore the name ‘Limerick Street’ in the eighteenth century. It then took the name ‘Pound Street’, which it shared with the street that adjoins it to the north-west (now Sarsfield Street but shown as Pound Street in the historic mapping from the nineteenth century (Illus.’s 4-5). It acquired the name ‘Queen Street’ in 18399 and ‘Mitchel Street’ in the early-twentieth century.

Sheehan records that buildings were constructed ‘fronting the street called Limerick Street’ (now Mitchel Street), from No.’s 14 to 20, by Wm. Connors and Mat Gleeson, with the premises demised by lease or transferred in 1745 inclusive (Plate 1 shows current view of No.’s 14-20). The plot of ground the buildings were constructed on was bounded on the north ‘by Tom Connors’ orchard’. Wm. Connors estate was legally vested in James Jocelyn Poe and proceedings of the Landed Estates Court in 1868 stated that ‘The piece of ground formerly built on by Wm. Connors, also Mat Gleeson’s former ground and former angle of Coghlan’s garden and all houses thereon in Queen Street, formerly called Limerick Street are in Queen Street, Nenagh’.

Plate 1 No.’s 14-20 Mitchel St, 18-20 Nenagh.

9 Sheehan, EH 1949 Nenagh and its Neighbourhood.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 11

Emmet Place was formerly called Dwyer’s Lane, after George Dwyer who had a premises in Pound Street. Sheehan records that in 1860 Dwyer’s Lane was extended to join Peter Street and it was renamed Bank Place, due to the location of the Provincial Bank. It was re-named Emmet Street in the mid-twentieth century.

Griffith’s Valuation of the mid-nineteenth century shows the properties of 18 and 19 Queen Street (Mitchel Street) occupied by Robert Armstrong and Benjamin Blake, with No. 20 shown as vacant. All three buildings were owned by Michael O’Brien. No.’s 18 and 19 are described as ‘house, office and yard’ and No. 20 is described as ‘house’.

Illus. 4 Historic Mapping. Extract of First Edition OS 6” Sheet TN020, 1839-41. © Government of Ireland.

The Historic Mapping (Illus.’s 4-6) shows the site of the proposed development occupied by buildings to both the Mitchel Street frontage and to that of Emmet Place. The entire area of the proposed development appears to have been built on from the mid-to-late nineteenth century, with no green space and limited rear yard space recorded on the Second Edition OS Map (Illus. 5). From the mid nineteenth century (Illus. 4) the street is shown as narrower to the south-west, at the junction with Mitchell Street, recessing further to the north-east along the proposed development site and this irregular line of the street is still preserved. The demolition of most of the houses fronting onto Emmet Place to the north-east of the junction with Mitchel Street was carried out in recent years.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 12

Illus. 5 Historic Mapping. Extract of Second Edition OS 25” Sheet TN020, 1901-2. © Government of Ireland.

Illus. 6 Historic Mapping. Extract of Cassini Edition OS 6” Sheet TN020, mid-twentieth century. © Government of Ireland.

3.2 Previous Archaeological Work

The site of the proposed development is located within the Zone of Notification for the town of Nenagh RMP No. TN020-037). There are records of eight Ministerial Consents for archaeological assessments on or close to the castle, National Monument, and there are 42

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 13 archaeological assessments recorded between 1992 and 2015 (www.excavations.ie) sites are recorded within the townland of Nenagh North, within the town of Nenagh. The most significant finds in Nenagh related to excavations associated with the castle and with the Franciscan friary. One of the most interesting finds was the discovery of a wide moat around the castle (Miriam Carroll) and the excavation of a house of late-medieval or post-medieval date in the moat (Frank Coyne). Brian Hodkinson excavated the gatehouse of Nenagh Castle in 1996 and Sylvia Desmond excavated skeletal remains and structural remains at the Franciscan friary in 1996 and 1997.

Licence Excavator Project Location Description

C000697 Mary Henry Nenagh Wastewater Site Investigation Works for the Networks Advance NWNAW were carried out through the Works. town centre in 2015. Much disturbance from later services was noted but four areas of potential archaeological features were discovered. These occurred at the south-east end of Mitchel Street, Kenyon Street, Martyr’s Road and Kickham Street. C075 Brenda Nenagh Castle Evidence of a massive ditch curving E2852 O’Meara around the south-eastern side of Nenagh Castle.

C075, Miriam Nenagh Castle Discovery of a 14m wide ditch/moat and C043, Carroll a short section of the curtain wall of the E3285 castle. A number of post-medieval pits also discovered.

C276, Linda Lynch O’Rahilly Street Walls examined under Ministerial W0032 Consent. No medieval masonry identified.

C75, Frank Coyne Nenagh Castle Possible late-medieval/early-post- E4410 medieval house constructed in moat.

C75, Frank Coyne Nenagh Castle Possible foundation of medieval date in E3285 keep.

C467, Frank Coyne O’Rahilly Street No archaeological significance E4326 E4416 Dave Pollock Nenagh Castle Possible early levels below the medieval floor level in the keep.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 14

1992 Brian 45 Pearse Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson 96E0017 Dominick Pearse Street/Abbey Two linear features. No datable finds. Delaney Street 96E0228 Brian Nenagh Castle Excavation of gatehouse and discovery of Hodkinson architectural fragments in a pit.

96E0228 Brian Nenagh Castle Removal of vegetation and topsoil from two ext Hodkinson areas of castle in advance of conservation. 96E0312 Brian Church View No archaeological significance Hodkinson 96E0341 Sylvia Abbey Street, The Friary Skeletal remains and structural remains. Desmond 96E0341 Sylvia Abbey Street, The Friary Discovery of a graveyard at the 13th century ext Desmond church of the Franciscan Friary. 97E0044 Brian Abbey Lane No archaeological significance Hodkinson 97E0229 Brian 19 Lower Sarsfield Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson

97E0239 Brian Connolly Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson 97E0422 Brian Ball Alley Lane No archaeological significance Hodkinson 98E0535 Anne Connolly 54 Pearse Street No archaeological significance

99E0134 Brian Glebe Place No archaeological significance Hodkinson 00E0360 Kenneth Thomas McDonagh No archaeological significance Wiggins Street 00E0567 Ken Hanley Nenagh North Trial holes were excavated in advance of a Brooklands proposed development.

00E572 Marcus Casey Nenagh North No archaeological significance

00E0901 Brian St. Conlan’s Road Human remains discovered. Hodkinson 01E0082 Tracy Collins Two skeleton’s excavated. 01E890 Brian 95 Silver Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 15

02E0006 Brian Martyrs’ Road No archaeological significance Hodkinson

02G0488 Avril Hayes 52-55 Silver Street No archaeological significance

02E0810 Avril Hayes John’s Lane No archaeological significance

02E1048 Niall Gregory Nenagh Main Drainage Post medieval culvert and Sewerage Scheme 02E1428 Brian Keating’s Place No archaeological significance Hodkinson 02E1706 Avril Hayes 15-18 Sarsfield No archaeological significance Street/Mitchel Street 03E279 Avril Hayes 52A Silver Street No archaeological significance

03E0416 Robert O Limerick Road 4 Bronze Age cremations

03E1348 Linda Lynch Abbey Street 19th century chapel.

03E1418 Brian 9 Pearse Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson 04$0616 Brian Bachelors Walk No archaeological significance Hodkinson 04E0640 Brian Nenagh North No archaeological significance Hodkinson 04E1322 Brian Kickham Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson 04E1568 Linda Clarke Pearse Street No archaeological significance

05E0133 Brian Martyr’s Road No archaeological significance Hodkinson

05E0317 Kate Taylor 64 Ormond Street 19th to 20th century

05E0684 Brian 24 Kenyon Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson 05E0700 Brian 31 Pearse Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson 05E0961 Brian 19a Pearse Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 16

05E1389 Brian 11-13 Silver Street Possible post-medieval feature Hodkinson 05E1410 Kate Taylor Silver Street Post-medieval pits

06E0018 Brian John Street Post-medieval feature Hodkinson 06E0158 Brian 18-19 Sarsfield Street No archaeological significance Hodkinson 07E0851 Tamas Shannon Broadband No archaeological significance Petervary Project 08E0432 Linda Lynch Nenagh Town Hall No archaeological significance

09E0334 David Kenyon Street/Stafford No archaeological significance Sweetman Street 10E0093 Jean O’Dowd Stafford Street No archaeological significance

11E0462 Liam Western Regional Two burials associated with former McKinstry Hospital workhouse

12E0276 Lee Scoltand Nenagh Leisure Centre No archaeological significance

15E0414 David Martyr’s Road No archaeological significance Sweetman Table 1 List of excavation licences held in Nenagh townland.

3.3 List of Recorded Monuments in Nenagh town

The site of the proposed development is located within the Zone of Notification for the town of Nenagh. One National Monument and ten Recorded Monuments are situated within the townland of Nenagh North, in the town of Nenagh. One of the Recorded Monument, RMP No. TN020-037006, town defences, is unlocated.

Site RMP No. Classification Description Distance from No. development site 1 TN020- Castle National Monument No. 513. c. 220m 037001 Thirteenth century castle, with nineteenth century crenulated tower. 2 TN020- Franciscan Founded in 1250 by Donagh c. 246m 037002 Friary O’Kennedy. It was the chief house of the Irish friars.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 17

3 TN020- Memorial Seventeenth century wall plaque in St. c. 308m 037003 Stone Mary’s Church. 4 TN020- Prison A now-demolished Session House and c. 116.5m 037004 Gaol, built in 1696. 5 TN020- Market House A now-demolished seventeenth century c. 115.2m 037005 market house. 6 TN020- Church Eighteenth century church, possibly on c. 348.8m 037007 the site of an earlier church. 7 TN020- Graveyard Burial ground associated with 5 above. c. 375.2m 037008 8 TN020- Cross slab Collection of stone from St. Odhran’s n/a (not in original 037012 Monastery, Latteragh position) 9 TN020- Grave slab A seventeenth century grave slab located c. 246m 037015 in the Franciscan Friary 10 TN020-037 Town Nenagh town Within

11 TM020- Town Nenagh town Not located 37006 Defences Table 2 Recorded Monuments in Nenagh town, Nenagh North townland.

10.TN020-037

8.TN020-037012 3.TN020-037003

1.TN020-037001

4.TN020-037004

2.TN020-037002

5.TN020-037005 and 9.TN020-037015

7.TN020-037008 6.TN020-037007

Illus. 7 Sites surrounding the site of the proposed development in Nenagh town.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 18

4.0 Site Description

The site of the proposed development comprises No.’s 18-20 Mitchel Street, which are three end-of-terrace, two-bay, three-storey former businesses/dwellings, two of which are now vacant (Plate 2). No. 18 (to right along terrace) is in use as an office on the ground floor.

20 19 18

Plate 2 No.’s 18-20 Mitchel Street, Nenagh, with Emmet Place visible to left.

The facades of all three buildings are broadly the same, having the same roof height and plain plaster finish (Plate 2). The fenestration to the first and second floors is also similar, with the high square headed openings on the first floor giving way to small window opes on the second (attic) floor. All original windows have been removed and are now fitted with modern uPVC replacements.

The ground floor of all three buildings comprise three different door and window styles, with No. 20, at the end of the terrace, having a plain modern window and a half-glazed modern door in the front façade. No.’s 19 retains evidence of an earlier timber shop front, with a half-glazed timber door integrated into the large tripartite shop window. No. 18 has the most intact shopfront, having a moulded cornice and name board over the shop window and replacement uPVC door.

The rear yards of No.’s 18 and 19 were not accessed.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 19

Plate 3 Emmet Place, from north-east.

Adjoining Mitchel Street to the north-east is Emmet Place (Illus. 2, Plate 3). There is an extant three-bay, two-storey building on the site abutting the rear of No. 20 Mitchel Street (Plate 4), which is the surviving section of a now-demolished terrace. The site to the north- east of the building on Emmet Place is behind hoarding and could not be accessed during the site visit (Plate 3).

Plate 4 Extant building on Emmet Place, from north-east.

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 20

5.0 Impact of the Proposed Development

A full description of the archaeological potential of the proposed development site is discussed in this section. The impacts of a development of this kind can be assessed in two principal ways; physical impact and visual impact.

1. Physical Impact

Potential Impact Assessment

Physical impact on known The proposed development site is located within the Zone archaeological sites: of Notification for Recorded Monument RMP No. TN020-037, town. There are no known archaeological remains located within the development site.

Physical impact on destroyed The historic mapping does not record the presence of archaeological sites: known but destroyed archaeological sites within the site boundary.

Physical impact on The proposed development site is situated in an undiscovered archaeological archaeologically sensitive area in the centre of Nenagh features or finds: town, RMP TN020-037. Given its location, the site has moderate to high archaeological potential and heretofore unrecorded features or finds of archaeological interest may be found during the proposed works. The full extent of the medieval town is unknown and the location of the town’s defences are also unclear. The site was developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries but it is possible that undiscovered archaeological features or finds exist within the site boundary.

2. Visual Impact

There are no Recorded Monuments within the site to be impacted visually by the proposed development. There will be no visual impact on extant archaeological sites outside the site boundary from the proposed development due to distance and the presence of existing buildings. The donjon of Nenagh Castle is visible to the north- east of Emmet Place, but there is sufficient distance (220m) from the proposed

Archaeological Report 18-20 Mitchel Street and Emmet Place, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 21

development site to the National Monument. This distance and the low-level nature of the proposed development mitigates against any negative visual impacts.

Archaeological pre-development testing of the proposed development site is recommended.

6.0 Conclusions and Recommendations

It is proposed to demolish four buildings at the junction of Mitchel Street and Emmet Place in the centre of Nenagh town, Nenagh North townland, Co. Tipperary. An archaeological assessment at the site was requested by the client, Tipperary County Council. The results of the archaeological field and desk study have shown that the site of the proposed development is located within the Zone of Notification for a Recorded Monument, RMP No. TN020-037, town. Nenagh Castle, National Monument 513, is located at a remove of 220m (Site 1, Table 2, Illus. 7 above) from the proposed development site.

The proposed development will not have a direct physical impact on any known archaeological remains within the Recorded Monument, town. However, the archaeological potential of the site of the proposed development is considered to be moderate to high and it is recommended that archaeological pre-development testing be carried out prior to the commencement of the development. The pre-development testing should be carried out before any demolition takes place on the site (18-20 Mitchel Street and the building on Emmet Place), focusing on the brownfield site to the rear of the buildings, accessed from Emmet Place. The site should be inspected to facilitate the preparation of a method statement for the pre-development testing programme. In the event that archaeological material is discovered during pre-development, further archaeological work may be required, following consultations with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the National Museum of Ireland.

All recommendations are subject to the approval of the Department of the Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

______

Anne Carey

Archaeological Report