2010:123 - St Anne’s Shandon, Cork, Cork

A licence to carry out monitoring of landscaping and remedial works at St Anne’s Shandon graveyard was granted in September 2008. The neglected and vandalised nature of the graveyard necessitated the work. The overall setting of the graveyard will be enhanced while providing essential amenity facilities in this part of the city. The scheme was postponed and commenced in November 2010.
The relocation of ex situ headstones was monitored. There are 121 headstones/tombs in total within the graveyard. Over half of these are ex situ. Each headstone was assessed prior to its removal. Also monitored were the removal of redundant oil tanks and the rebuilding of an existing entrance pier. The entrance to the graveyard is on the northern boundary and consisted of an iron gate with two large limestone and sandstone piers. The pillar was photographed and numbered prior to demolition and will be rebuilt.
The setting out of an area for the relocated headstones was monitored. The ex situ headstones are to be redistributed in a remembrance area in the north-eastern area of the site. A maximum depth of 0.2m was excavated. No archaeological features or finds were noted. All material excavated was redistributed within the site.
Monitoring of the excavation of the perimeter path commenced in December 2010 and will be completed by March 2011. The tops of five headstones were exposed upon removal of 0.2m of topsoil. All were retained in situ. A recumbent gravestone was recorded and incorporated into the new path. The remains of a vault were partially exposed at the north-western edge of the site near the entrance to the graveyard. From limited inspection, it comprised a shallow barrel-vaulted chamber which was accessed from an external stairway. The stairway had red-brick-built steps and sides covered by red sandstone slabs. The internal width of the stairway measured 0.7m. The walls of the chamber were constructed of random rubble sandstone which had been heavily rendered and whitewashed. It measured 2.3m east–west x 1.5m and was 1.5m in height. The remains of a number of wooden coffins were noted. The vault had been vandalised in the past as evidenced by the rubbish and damage to the coffins and skeletal remains. The foundations of an earlier east–west boundary wall were recorded 0.1m below ground level and 1.3m south of the current northern boundary wall. This wall is indicated on the OS 1869 map.