2022:749 - CASTLETOWNBERE TRUNK MAIN WATER SCHEME (Bunskellig, Ardgroom Outward, Barrees, Faunkill and The Woods, Bofickil and Inches), Cork

Archaeological monitoring was proposed for parts of a water pipe-laying project in Castletownbere, Co. Cork. Full time archaeological monitoring was proposed adjacent to two monuments: a cashel (CO102-016001-) and a souterrain (CO102-016002-) which are located 23m and 47m to the west of the scheme. Unfortunately, due to an oversight on the part of the main contractor, the archaeologists were not informed when works were taking place and the entire scheme was constructed without archaeological monitoring.

The pipes were generally laid in open-cut trenches, typically 0.6m wide and 1.2m deep, excavated by a tracked mechanical excavator with a toothless grading bucket. Pipes at the north-eastern end of the scheme, connecting the reservoir with the road, were laid by slip lining, i.e. the new pipes were inserted inside the existing pipes – meaning very little ground excavation was required.

Photographs of some of the works were provided by the contractor, including the slip lining, where the new pipe can be seen being inserted into an existing pipe. It is clear that the route of the pipe was previously disturbed when the original watermain was laid. In this upload area peaty scraw can be seen to directly overlie pinkish mudstone and glacial till.

The images of trenches in the road reveal that, at least in the locations for which photographs are available, the modern road surface directly overlies natural geological deposits of stony orange glacial till or pinkish mudstone/sandstone. The contractor stated that for pipe laying on much of the R571 the trench revealed that the road surface sits directly above bedrock.