Transition year students from across Dublin excavated the remains of a 19th-century mansion in St Anne’s Park in Raheny over the last number of weeks as part of a community archaeology programme.
The dig sought to uncover artefacts from the ruins of St Anne’s House, once owned by the Guinness family.
The students excavated the remains of former owner Lord Ardilaun’s study over five days, revealing artefacts including fragments of carved stone, decorative plasterwork, stained glass and ornate floor tiles.
They were mentored by professional archaeologists from Archaeology and Built Heritage Ltd as part of Dublin City Council’s annual St Anne’s Park Community Archaeology Programme.
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Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Ray McAdam visited the students on site on Tuesday, commending their hard work and the enthusiasm and curiosity they brought to the project.
“Their achievements reveal Dublin’s past and highlight the vital role young people play in exploring and sharing our city’s unique cultural heritage,” Mr McAdam said in a statement.
St Anne’s Park was originally part of an estate of land owned by members of the Guinness family in the 19th century.
St Anne’s house was remodelled twice during this period, with the final phase by owners Lord and Lady Ardilaun (Arthur Edward Guinness and Olivia Charlotte Guinness) turning it into a palatial two-storey Italianate-style house.
The mansion was sold to Dublin Corporation in 1939 and was used to store Defence Forces equipment during The Emergency.
In 1943, a fire broke out, turning the building to ruins, and it was ultimately demolished in 1968. The remains of the house lay untouched under a mound at the end of the avenue in St Anne’s Park until 2021, when the community archaeology programme set out to uncover what remained.
The Dublin City Council programme aims to connect local communities with their heritage and social history, and serves as a place for them to try archaeology first hand.
The community dig of the mansion, which started on August 19th, finishes on September 20th.
The transition year students took part on Tuesdays, and adult volunteers continued their work from Wednesdays to Saturdays.
On Fridays in October volunteers will have an opportunity to clean, record and pack archaeological finds discovered during the excavation.
