2006:384 - RINGASKIDDY, Cork Harbour, Cork

Non-disturbance visual inspection was employed to assess the archaeological potential of the seabed along two cable-lay routes (Routes 1 and 4) identified for the proposed Aghada to Cuskinny Cable Lay Project. In addition, a number of side-scan sonar and magnetometer anomalies, located within the vicinity of each cable route, were investigated. The shallow inshore sections of the survey were undertaken as a snorkel survey. The underwater survey area constituted a 3.2km by 10m search area for Cable Route 1 and a 1.04km by 10m search area for Cable Route 4. The survey was conducted in a series of stages, with a 600m length of seabed being surveyed in each stage. The shoreline at each location was inspected to ascertain its archaeological potential and a 200m section (east–west) of foreshore was field-walked at Cuskinny Bay and a 50m (east–west) section at Aghada.

The assessment was comprehensive and extended beyond the immediate impact zone for each of the cable routes. The placement of coastal protection measures along Cuskinny Bay and the land reclamation at Aghada has limited the archaeological potential at both foreshore locations. No material/deposits of archaeological significance were observed exposed on the seabed as part of the survey. The seabed was largely clear of man-made surface debris, with only occasional fragments of metal being encountered (jetsam from fishing vessels). However, the potential for archaeological debris to lie within the buried levels remains, as attested to by the magnetometer anomalies identified in the pre-dive survey, the diver survey confirming that these remain buried.