City Archaeologist stands against 'the destruction of Dublin's heritage'

City Archaeologist for Dublin City Council Ruth Johnson speaks about how her team protects the archaeological heritage of the capital and all the incredible artefacts and rich history that have been discovered through excavations

News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 11:12, 26 Jun 2026 Updated 11:12, 26 Jun 2026 View Image Dublin Castle (Image: Michael Echteld/Getty Images)

For 25 years, City Archaeologist Ruth Johnson has bridged the gap between Dublin ’s developers and its ancient past driven by a refusal to be the one “responsible for the destruction of archaeological heritage”.

Speaking on a recent episode of Dublin City Council ’s ‘What's the Story, Dublin?’ podcast, Ruth reflected on the role archaeology plays in modern Dublin and the complex balancing act of encouraging urban development while ensuring historical preservation. With various pieces of legislation protecting the city she said that Dublin is “effectively a monument in its own right” and its archaeological heritage must be accounted for in all projects.

Ruth became the City Archaeologist in 2001 and has been involved in countless digs and excavations that have uncovered several Viking burial sites. Whether it’s turning cesspits into human knowledge or safeguarding the protections granted to Phoenix Park, she is a voice advocating for the often underappreciated heritage of the city.

Describing archaeology as a “finite resource,” Ruth explained that her team’s role is to ensure “we don’t lose all the heritage of the city in one fell swoop”. With a goal of ensuring things are conserved for the people of Dublin and the entire world, she knows firsthand how much preserving history means to Dubliners.

“There is a genuine interest. If you walk down the street wearing your city council vest that says 'archaeologist,' people will come up to talk to you. They'll say, 'Did you know such-and-such happened on my street?' It’s fascinating, and it shows a real connection between people and place,” she said.

Ruth has plenty of incredible stories to tell about the hidden history of Dublin that’s been discovered over the course of her career. A major find came during her very first year in the role, when a gut feeling about a development site near Dublin Castle proved correct. “We could just sense from the research and the background work that we'd done that there was something really important about this site,” she said.

Prior to this, there hadn't been any Viking burial sites found since the 1930s, but here Ruth and her team made the first such find in nearly 70 years. Located at Ship Street, this find opened up many more sites that included Christian and Pagan burial grounds.

While prior thinking suggested incoming populations eradicated previous peoples and took over, sites like this suggested these different cultures co-existed with one another. This offered a more nuanced understanding of history as Ruth explained “the Vikings didn’t just come and conquer", instead there was a more “symbiotic relationship” in Ireland.

Fascinating outcomes include the ‘Viking Lidl,’ where a planning application for Aungier Street led to an agreement that findings would not only have to be preserved in situ, but actually presented there. “We were able to preserve a Viking house under the floor of the Lidll,” she said.

“That was a massive piece of teamwork. It was like architects, planners, engineers, archaeologists, consultant archaeologists, the National Monuments Service, and the National Museum of Ireland. There was huge collaboration and teamwork, but that’s something I’m really proud of.”

Incredible finds showcase the city's archaeological wealth , including a stunning 11th-century gold filigree piece of jewelry and a 13th-century bishop’s ring found at Temple Bar which showcase Dublin city as the “crème de la crème” of amazing artefacts. A combination of water-logging and air has allowed for incredible preservation, similar to how a bog preserves.

“Unlike a bog, Dublin’s soil isn’t acidic, so you get bone preservation as well,” she said.

Ruth says we are living in a city where just below our feet people are unaware of the “red brick cellars from 18th century houses that are long gone off the street”. “The traces are still there and we try to keep them there,” she said, stating if planners want to develop on a site with a Medieval masonry, the foundations will be designed in such a way to keep as much as possible.

Technological improvements and better scientific analysis has meant the field of archaeology has completely changed over the decades. Older methods like radio carbon dating still remain, but new processes like isotopic and DNA analysis means a lot more information can be extracted from sites.

Ruth explained that this is a major argument for the preservation of sites in situ, as removing artefacts destroys sites and means further data cannot be collected. But, if sites are preserved, archaeologists can come back in 50 years time and learn even more about the city’s history.

This careful approach to preservation is particularly relevant when considering the future of Wood Quay , which stands out as the site of one of Europe’s oldest Viking settlements. While the controversial development of the civic offices occurred decades ago, the council is now examining future options for the remaining site as it endeavours to move to Camden Yard, with talks of potentially creating a dedicated historical center

Looking past the city's famous Viking roots, Ruth’s team is also preparing to spotlight Dublin’s lesser-known Norman history. With 2027 earmarked as the European ‘Year of the Normans,’ Dublin City Council is collaborating on projects to highlight how the 12th-century settlers shaped the city, including plans to light up medieval monuments, such as St. Audoen’s Church.

Heading into the future, Ruth said her team has been investigating Strategic Development Regeneration Areas (SDRAs) at locations near Dublin Castle. She believes that working together with planners, architects and engineers, they improve and learn more about a part of the city that is of huge archaeological importance.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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