The dig, conducted just outside the western end of the hall, uncovered evidence of not one but two distinct gateway structures that once controlled access to this important ecclesiastical site. The earlier gateway predated the 15th-century Hall of the Vicars Choral, whilst the second was built as a contemporary addition when the hall itself was constructed.

The excavation yielded more than just defensive structures. Archaeologists discovered foundations of another building that shared the same timeframe as the earlier gateway, suggesting this area was already an active part of the Rock’s complex before the vicars’ quarters were established. These findings paint a picture of continuous occupation and development at St. Patrick’s Rock, with each generation of builders incorporating or replacing what came before.

The Hall of the Vicars Choral itself was built in the 15th century to house the minor canons who sang in the cathedral’s choir services. Finding evidence of earlier structures beneath and around it demonstrates that this sacred hilltop site, long associated with St. Patrick and medieval Irish Christianity, underwent several phases of construction as its religious community evolved and expanded over the centuries.