2016:257 - Waterford Courthouse, Catherine Street, Waterford, Waterford

Test trenching, monitoring and excavation was undertaken at the site of the proposed redevelopment of Waterford Courthouse on Catherine Street in Waterford City. Construction is currently being undertaken by BAM. The courthouse site is located in the townland of Trinity Without (ITM 661012/ 612127) within of the zone of potential for archaeological remains associated with the historic town of Waterford WA009-005. The existing courthouse—which is to be refurbished as part of the overall development—is a protected structure (Ref. 76).

Test Trenching.

Phase 1 test trenching targetted the rear of the courthouse building. The trenches and monitoring indicate that much of the existing 19th-century courthouse basement had been demolished, with potentially only the northern boundary walls remaining in situ. The internal area had been filled with modern '4" down' quarry stone during the 1980s. Outside the line of the basement it appears that the ground level was substantially filled in during the post-medieval/early modern period. Fill material was visible to a depth of 2m in places, with natural silt exposed underneath. A single channel crossed Trenches 2 and 3, although this appeared to be a natural watercourse. Early modern backfill material recorded in Trench 2 contained some residual dumped human bone and animal bone associated with modern pottery.

The Phase 2 testing assessment was undertaken to target the area to the north and north-west of the courthouse in an area suspected of containing human remains. This particular part of the site is marked by the Archaeology Survey of Ireland as the suspected site of a Bastion Fort (WA009-005050) and is also the site of a (now-demolished) fire station at which human remains were found during its construction in the 1960s and 1990s. Additional phases of trenching are still to be undertaken in other areas of the development.

Phase 2 Trenches identified a burial ground of potential medieval date under the existing fire station. A minimum of 19 possible burials were identified. A large quantity of disarticulated human bone was also present in the lower levels of the trenches. They are concentrated in the north and western extent of the site. It is possible that these burials are likely associated with St Bridgit’s Church (WA009-005027), which is located to the north, or with a burial ground associated with St Catherine’s Abbey (WA009-005029), the exact location of which is also unknown.

No evidence for the Bastion Fort (WA009-005050) were found in Trenches 5–8 & 20. Monitoring of the removal of the early modern infill uncovered two areas of archaeological interest cut directly in to natural clay subsoil.

Area 1 contained four pits, filled with several ashy deposits containing much cut antler and bone waste. Several pieces of medieval pottery and two copper objects were recovered. This area appears to represent a waste pits for bone and antler working, likely for the production of combs and other objects.

Area 2 comprised three pits, two of which were quite large. These contained several ashy deposits with finds of disarticulated animal and human bone, pottery and metal objects. A human inhumation was located at the southern edge of excavation. This was covered with sand and left in situ. Additional monitoring and test trenching under licence 15E0491 is still being undertaken on site with the licence being transferred from the author in early 2017.