2013:565 - BANDON, Cork

Monitoring was undertaken of site investigation works relating to the Bandon Sewerage Scheme in Bandon, Co. Cork. A wayleave route and a total of thirty-eight slit trenches were excavated under archaeological supervision. Potential archaeological features were recorded in sixteen of the slit trenches as well as at the south-eastern limits of the wayleave.

Four archaeological features were recorded in the wayleave route: the remains of an north-south orientated wall of sandstone random rubble construction, two east-west orientated drains and a well-faced wall extending from the streetfront in a westerly direction. A dump of material including limestone slabs, wrought ironwork and a cold-chisel, which may have originated from the nearby Christchurch Graveyard (CO110-019008), was uncovered in the wayleave.

Archaeological remains were located in sixteen of the thirty-eight slit trenches. The archaeological remains included culverts, cobbling and walls. Two types of culverts were identified: a larger type exiting on MacSwiney Quay and a smaller box type which were dispersed around the wider limits of the town. A slate/shaley feature was identified in ST123 and had previously been recorded nearby by Tobar Archaeological Services. It was located in close proximity to the suspected line of the historic town wall. However the nature of the material is regarded as being too soft and friable to be utilised in a structural context and is currently interpreted as being an introduced levelling layer. Further investigative work would be required to fully understand the feature. All the wall features recorded were insubstantial and are likely to represent dwelling house/cottage walls and boundary or garden walls. A cobbled surface identified along Chapel Street most likely reflects an earlier street surface.