County: Cork Site name: Cloghmacsimon
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CO110–026 Licence number: 08E0973; 08R0371
Author: Deborah Sutton, Sheila Lane & Associates, Deanrock Business Park, Togher, Cork.
Site type: 19th-century workhouse
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 549918m, N 554877m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.743999, -8.725225
Testing of the lands surrounding Bandon Community Hospital was carried out in December 2008 as part of a request for further information required for a proposed extension to the existing hospital. Part of the proposed development lands are located within the zone of archaeological potential for a standing stone (CO110–026). The stone stands in the lands adjacent to the proposed development site in Cloghmacsimon townland. The existing hospital stands on the site of the former Bandon Union workhouse, which was constructed in 1841 and burnt down in 1921.
Ten test-trenches were excavated. Topsoil depths averaged 0.3–0.4m in the majority of the trenches and overlaid light-brown and orange/brown boulder clay subsoil with frequent small stones. Two areas exposed features and material of note. Two test-trenches (1 and 2), excavated within the grounds of the existing hospital which is enclosed by the walls of the former workhouse, exposed areas of cobbled surfaces and the base of levelled walls. The superimposition of these features on the plan of the former 19th-century workhouse on the first edition of the OS map indicated that these features are the remains of the workhouse. The cobbled areas exposed at the southern ends of Trenches 1 and 2, closest to the existing hospital, correspond to an open area of yard shown on the map. The north–south stone wall (W3) and east–west walls (W1, W2) exposed in Trench 1 are likely to be the remains of walls in the east wing of the main workhouse buildings. An east–west wall (W2) exposed in Trench 2 is also likely to be part of this east wing. The east–west walls were well constructed of mortared sandstone and were between c. 0.6–0.7m wide. The 8m section of north–south wall stood to a height of 0.62m on an offset foundation course. Two test-trenches, excavated to the east of the enclosing walls of the hospital, exposed large quantities of building rubble to a depth of 2m. This rubble is likely to represent the remains of the now demolished fever hospital that was located in this area.
