2007:214 - Bandon, Cork

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Cork Site name: Bandon

Sites and Monuments Record No.: CO110–019(021), CO110–025, CO110–091–101 Licence number: 07E0210

Author: Marta Muñiz Pérez, for CRDS Ltd, Unit 4A, Dundrum Business Park, Windy Arbour, Dublín 14.

Site type: Urban, medieval

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 549465m, N 555118m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.746124, -8.731817

Monitoring of engineering works preceding the construction of a new sewerage scheme in Bandon, Co. Cork, was carried out between 18 April and 10 October 2007.
The engineering works consisted of the excavation of 43 slit-trenches, 70 boreholes and thirteen dynamic probes. The slit-trenches were excavated with a JCB with a 0.5m-wide toothed bucket to a depth of 1.2m, in order to locate existing services. Where the projected location of the town wall met the position of the slit-trenches, these were excavated to a depth of 2m. The length reached a maximum of 15m extending across the road surface. Boreholes and dynamic probes consisted of the insertion of a tube in the ground to variable depths (maximum 7m).
The defences of Bandon town were built in the 17th century. Some sections of the town wall are still standing to the west side and others have been exposed during monitoring and testing prior to construction works to the south-west. The location and extension of the town walls is depicted on Bernard Scale’s 1775 map of the town.
Remains of the town wall were identified upon excavation of two of the slit-trenches, one at Bridge Lane, to the east side of the town, and the other one at Glasslin Road, to the far east side of the town. The section at Bridge Lane consisted of a double wall filled with rubble, c. 2.4m wide. The section located in Glasslin Road was very disturbed and consisted of a single limestone wall with oyster shell and clay bonding.
Excavations through the quays proved the existence of a thick redeposited soil. In three locations remains of cobbled surfaces were exposed under the modern tarmac, as well as a street frontage and a culvert over the river.