1997:053 - ROSSCARBERY: Church Road, 'Angler's Rest', Cork

A site for a new house fell within an area of archaeological potential. In accordance with a condition of the planning permission the site was archaeologically investigated.

The evidence for the walling of Rosscarbery in the medieval period is equivocal. Thomas (1992, vol. 2, 237) states that 'it is very likely that the bishop may have walled Rosscarbery in the medieval period, given its isolated and remote position'. Smith (1750, vol. 1, 257) claims that the town was 'walled about "by a lady" of that country' but only the foundations could still be traced. Smith's description was clearly based on and quoted from Hamner, whose chronicle was published in 1633, some thirty years after his death. Hamner stated that 'the town was walled about by a lady of that country, but by the wars of the Irish septs, particularly the Barry's, Driscoll's etc. the foundation could scarce be traced' (Chronicle, 53).

The identification by the Cork Archaeological Survey of the possible line of the town wall to the west of the proposed development site contradicts the late 17th-century description of foundations that 'could scarce be traced' (ibid.). The extant garden wall, standing to a height of c. 2.5m, may overlie the line of the earlier town wall, but no evidence for a wall pre-dating the 19th-century garden wall was found in the archaeological testing.

Six trenches were excavated in the area of the proposed house and in the area of the driveway (adjacent to the suggested line of the town wall). There were no finds or features of recognisable antiquity and no apparent anomalies to suggest the survival of archaeological features pre-dating the late 19th century.

References
Smith, C. 1750 The ancient and present state of the county and city of Cork. Dublin.
Thomas, A. 1992 The walled towns of Ireland (2 vols). Dublin.

312 Bruach na Laoi, Union Quay, Cork