2007:323 - YOUGHAL: St Raphael's Centre, Magner's Hill, Cork

Planning permission for construction of a new residential centre at St Raphael’s Hospital required a programme of testing. The area lies to the north-west of the existing hospital complex and on high ground to the south-west of the town centre. It is situated outside the zone of archaeological potential established for the town and there is a late 18th-/early 19th-century Quaker burial-ground (CO067–026) located c. 200m to the south–south-west. Documentary, cartographic and aerial photographic research did not indicate any features of archaeological interest/potential within the site.

Seven trenches were excavated by machine fitted with a toothless ditching/grading bucket, following which the sides and bases were cleaned by hand. In addition, the spoil was raked through in order to determine the artefact-bearing potential of the topsoil. No features or deposits of archaeological interest were uncovered during the course of testing. However, a total of 30 sherds of pottery were recovered. These were examined by Clare McCutcheon, who determined that four sherds were of medieval date (Youghal-type and Leinster cooking ware), with the reminder of post-medieval date.