County: Cork Site name: YOUGHAL: 100 Main Street North
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0437 ext.
Author: Stuart D. Elder, for Eachtra Archaeological Projects
Site type: Historic town
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 610478m, N 577941m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.953461, -7.847549
This development constituted the extension to the rear of a property fronting North Main Street and O’Rahilly Street. A total of 34 concrete-filled augur piles were inserted during construction, to be augmented by ground-beams. The depth of piling varied from c. 8.5m to 10.5m, depending on the stratigraphy encountered.
Prior to commencement of the piling, the site was noted as being covered with demolition debris in a very dark greyish-brown sandy clay silt matrix. This was the result of the demolition of standing buildings to the rear of 100 North Main Street, and of the standing buildings demolished as part of an adjacent development at 102 North Main Street (see No. 357, Excavations 2003).
Despite seven days of monitoring on-site, only six sherds of pottery were recovered, five of which were post-medieval, and the other probably medieval.
This type of development is notoriously awkward for archaeologists to monitor, because of the nature of the sediment being thrown up by the augur. It is not possible to accurately gauge the depths at which archaeological deposits are encountered, nor the extent or true nature of the deposits. Similarly, the piling process could destroy more subtle features—such as small post-holes or stake-holes, which are vitally important in understanding the layout and function of a site—without the monitoring archaeologist being aware of it.
All that can safely be said from the monitoring is that archaeological deposits of possible medieval date were encountered at various locations across the site, but that it was not possible to accurately determine the depth of these deposits.
Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Cork
