2016:315 - CORK: Cork Courthouse, Anglesea Street, Cork

Monitoring took place of ground works associated with the development of Cork Criminal Courthouse, Anglesea Street, Cork. The proposed courthouse site is located in Cork City on Angelesa Street outside of the zone of potential for archaeological remains associated with the historic town. The site is situated south of the southern channel of the River Lee within the Parish of St Nicholas. There are 12 Recorded Monuments located within 500m of the proposed development area, the nearest of which is a train station, CO074-119001, c. 150m to the east.

The site remained undeveloped until the mid-late 19th century and up to this time is shown in the historic mapping as marshland. The area is annotated as ‘Allens Marsh’ in Rocque’s 1773 plan of Cork. In a slightly later map, Conor’s map of Cork (1774), the plot to the immediate west of the current development area is annotated as ‘Church Ground’. In the mid-19th century the area gradually began to be developed, however the proposed development area is shown as mostly open space in the first edition 6-inch OS map. By the time of the later 19th-century 25-inch OS map the model school has been constructed fronting onto Anglesea Street and the playgrounds associated with it comprise a large proportion of the remaining development area.

Monitoring of ground works were carried out between December 2015 and May 2016. No features or deposits of archaeological significance were identified during this time.