Dublin may get deep-fat friary in Temple Bar

ARCHAEOLOGISTS excavating a site in Dublin's Temple Bar have found the remains of a 13th century Augustinian friary. The discovery was made at Cecilia Street, near the Central Bank, on a site being developed for a restaurant and residential complex.

The friary, whose location in this area was known, is thought to have been one of the wealthiest and most important religious houses in medieval Dublin. It was founded by the Talbot family around 1260 and received a charter from King Edward I.

The complex incorporated a general college for the education of Irish Augustinians and flourished until the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. Although not marked on a 1610 city map, it is thought the buildings survived more or less intact until the redevelopment of the area in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

The friary is likely to be the last major public building from the medieval period to be uncovered in Temple Bar.

However, the site is not owned by Temple Bar Properties and a decision about its preservation lies between the developers and the Office of Public Works. Existing planning permission only requires the developers to excavate the site, a process which is almost complete.

Retention of the complete structure in the planned development would require a preservation order but this has been effectively ruled out by the OPW, which is, instead, discussing with the developers how the main feature of the site a precinct wall can be incorporated.

The structures exposed so far include the wall, featuring a relieving arch and a corner tower, and what archaeologists believe are the walls of a dormitory building. But the latter structure has been affected by an underground oil leak over a long period and the OPW believes this disqualifies it from inclusion in the finished project

The OPW hopes the preserved part of the friary will be visible to the public within the newly built complex.