County: Waterford Site name: WATERFORD MAIN DRAINAGE SCHEME, Waterford
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0207
Author: Orla Scully
Site type: Road - road/trackway, Quay and Wreck
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 659453m, N 612018m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.256665, -7.129163
The drainage scheme commenced in May 1999 and will continue into summer 2000. The pipe-laying started in the grounds of the courthouse, crossed the carpark in Bolton Street, and reached the Mall via Lombard Street. For the most part, the pipes are being laid outside the city walls, along the length of the Quay. In the coming months the side streets at right angles to the Quay will be connected into the new system.
To date, monitoring has identified some early wooden timbers, which appear to form a trackway. These were uncovered in the grounds of the courthouse, the site of the medieval St Catherine's Abbey. Some stone walls were exposed at the town side of the trench along the Quay. These most probably signify the location of the earlier Quay wall, built using masonry from the city wall, permission for the demolition of which was granted by the Corporation in 1704–5.
Certain short sections of the pipeline were tunnelled rather than openly dug. Lombard Street was one such area. Here the pipe encountered the sunken wreck of a wooden boat. Key timbers were retrieved from the vessel, and it is hoped that a dendrochronological date can be obtained from them and from those of the trackway.
7 Bayview, Tramore, Co. Waterford
