2002:0368 - YOUGHAL, Cork

Monitoring of ESB cable laying in the core of the medieval town had been continuing since December 2001 under the direction of Stuart Elder (Excavations 2001, No. 239). In May 2002 that licence was transferred to the writer for the monitoring of Phases 4, 5 and 6.

The earliest archaeological evidence of settlement in Youghal is the impressive remains of the town wall, which date from the late 12th century. Historically, the impetus for urban development at Youghal possibly came about because of the establishment of a Viking/Hiberno-Norse longphort in the mid-9th century; later the site offered good defensive, commercial and logistical characteristics to the Anglo-Normans, and it developed accordingly under the patronage and lordship of the earls of Desmond. As part of this development, the town acquired the many vestiges of a medieval town, both secular and ecclesiastical.

Phase 4 was concerned with cable laying on Catherine’s Street, Grattan Street, O’Neill Crowley Street, Lower Brown Street, Dolphin’s Square and part of North Main Street. The sediments unearthed were mostly disturbed ground that had been previously excavated on numerous occasions for different services. No in situ remains were encountered; any remains that were found were quite modern in date. The artefacts found in the trenches were post-medieval and modern in date.

Phase 5 was at Pearse Square/Strand Street, within the zone of potential of the Franciscan priory (SMR 67:28 (01)) known as South Abbey. A narrow trench was excavated across Pearse Square, running east from the foot of Hayman’s Hill diagonally to the east side of the Square. The trench continued tight to the line of the eastern footpath, turning the corner into Strand Street to meet up with a new pillar box in front of the Old Monastery apartments on the eastern side of the street. The sediments encountered were all make-up for the road and consisted of various layers of hardcore and gravels. Occasionally, natural sand was uncovered, at a depth of 0.7m on Pearse Square and 0.6m on Strand Street. No finds or features of archaeological significance were uncovered.

Phase 6 was at the bottom of Windmill Lane and its junction with South Main Street and Friar Street. This phase was revealed by a chance opportunity to carry out emergency repairs. A pole on this junction carrying a major supply to the town was in danger of collapse and was taken down, with the cable being placed underground. The trench started on Windmill Lane, ran to the junction with South Main Street for 40m, turned south down Friar Street for 20m, crossed the road and returned for 30m on the eastern side of South Main Street. The trench was excavated to a depth of 0.65m. Much of the run of the trench had been heavily disturbed by previous service trenches. Toward the meeting of South Main Street and Windmill Lane, the remains of the flooring of the 18th-/19th-century house that had occupied the bottom corner of the lane were uncovered. This surface consisted of plain, 19th-century, red earthenware tiles. Natural beach sand was uncovered at the maximum depth of this trench, at 0.8m at the bottom of Windmill Lane and at 0.7–0.5m on the eastern side of South Main Street.

A short offshoot trench of 8m was run into the yard of Derry’s Tyre Centre on the eastern side of South Main Street. The sediments removed consisted of the rubble remains of demolished 18th- and 19th-century buildings.

No finds or features of archaeological significance were uncovered during the monitoring of this trench excavation.

47 North Main Street, Youghal, Co. Cork