2005:1512 - MANOR SCHOOL, ST JOHN’S WITHIN, WATERFORD, Waterford

The present school (built in 1932) lies within the walled city, at its south-eastern part, which was last to be enclosed by the defences. It was the site of the first Quaker meeting house in Waterford; Quakers had gathered in this area since 1694. A replacement building erected in 1763 is depicted on a 1764 map of the city. That building was sold to the Catholic Church and was used as a Roman Catholic chapel until 1850. Thereafter it was used as a Christian Brothers’ School. The building was demolished, to be replaced by the extant concrete structure. The school board wishes to replace and upgrade the school. Remains of the earlier building are to be seen in the boundary wall to the east.
Test-trenches around the school building showed the uppermost levels composed of largely red-brick rubble. This overlay a clay layer, which in turn overlay black alluvial silt, which gave way to a paler grey interface on top of yellow gravel substratum. In two of the test-trenches, the remains of stone wall foundations were exposed. These most probably relate to the 18th-century Quaker meeting house demolished in the last century. There was no evidence for any medieval remains exposed in the testing. The demolition of the school is to be monitored and any further foundations recorded.