2007:1845 - Christchurch Cathedral, Waterford, Waterford

The present Christchurch Cathedral was built in the 18th century on the site of a medieval cathedral. Some years previously work by Edmond O’Donovan in the existing cathedral exposed a medieval column in the vestibule area (Excavations 1997, No. 576, 97E0459). In 2007 works to facilitate the installation of a new heating system were monitored. The heating installation works were concentrated within the nave area of the cathedral. The works included excavation to a depth of c. 0.3m below the level of the former timber floor in four areas of the nave. The installation of pipes into existing floor ducts was also monitored. The works uncovered a medieval column, several ex situ medieval architectural fragments and a number of disarticulated bones. The medieval column was of dundry stone and in the Gothic style. The fabric and style of the column matches the column exposed during earlier work at the cathedral. This column was preserved in situ below the level of the groundworks. Amongst the architectural fragments was a 13th-century floor tile. The bone fragments were identified as both human and animal but were not of primary deposition and no absolute date was ascertained for their deposition.