Ireland

Shoppers in Dublin Lidl store given glimpse into city's medieval past

Remains of an 11th century house can be seen beneath a glass section of the floor of the Lidl store. Picture by RTÉ
Remains of an 11th century house can be seen beneath a glass section of the floor of the Lidl store. Picture by RTÉ

A glimpse into Dublin's medieval past is on show for shoppers at a Lidl store in the city.

Visitors to the shop on Aungier Street are able to see the remains of an 11th century house underneath a glass section of the floor.

The discovery was made during excavations of the site, which is close to Dublin Castle.

Information panels and artwork interpreting the remains are also displayed throughout the new store.

Paul Duffy from IAC Archaeology told RTÉ: "It is a domestic structure so you would have to imagine that there would have been a suburb here of Hiberno-Norse Dubliners who were effectively the ancestors of the Vikings."

There's also another glass panel, located close to the store's checkouts, which showcases an 18th century 'pit trap' associated with the stage workings of the former Aungier Street Theatre.

Linzi Simpson, consultant archaeologist on the project, said: "We were delighted that such a meaningful part of the theatre was found, recognised and is now presented to the public.

"I think it's really fantastic that Lidl is displaying it right in front of their tills."