County: Cork Site name: LOUGH MAHON, Cork
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0782
Author: Stuart Elder, Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 575271m, N 570538m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.886466, -8.359227
As part of Phase II of the Cork Main Drainage Scheme, a submarine pipeline trench was dredged east–west across Lough Mahon. Monitoring of the dredging operation commenced on 8 August 2001, in two 12-hour shift cycles.
The backhoe dredger loaded three hopper barges, each drawn by a separate tug, operating in cycles of around five hours each, depending on tidal and weather conditions. The dredged material was deposited approximately 7m north of the harbour entrance. The archaeologists monitored from the wheelhouse of the dredger, as this afforded the best view of the hopper of the barge whilst loading. The wheelhouse has a direct communications link with the backhoe operator, to which the archaeologists had free access as and when required.
Despite having spent a total of 68 days (816 hours) monitoring aboard the dredger in Lough Mahon, only four timbers were recovered, all at chainage 2400 (NGR 174393 70633 approx.). Two measured c. 2m by 0.35m by 0.3m, and were roughly squared in section. Of the two smaller timbers, the largest measured 1.05m by 0.35m by 0.2m. Preliminary inspection shows little conversion of the original wood, except for the rough shaping. There were no obvious marks to indicate what tool was used during conversion, but further cleaning and more thorough inspection are to be carried out at a later date, with a view towards eventual identification. Preliminary inspection suggests that they represent marine piles, possibly tethering posts for a navigational buoy.
Altogether, 3289m of pipe trench were excavated across the lough, but nothing tangible was found besides the suspected piles. Of over 400 shipwrecks in Cork Harbour (Kelleher, pers. comm.), the locations of the majority of which are unrecorded, we can say that we have found nothing of note. What may be termed ‘Cork Harbour’, however, is vast, stretching from the quays in the city to the mouth of the estuary at Roches’ Point and Cobh. It is unsurprising then, in light of this fact, that in excavating perhaps less than 1% of the total area of Cork Harbour nothing of archaeological significance was noted.
Unit 2F, Dungarvan Business Park, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
