2018:109 - Morrison's Island, River Lee, Cork

Underwater archaeological impact assessment (UAIA) took place for the proposed Morrison’s Island Flood Alleviation Works. These works form part of the wider River Lee (Cork City) Drainage Scheme and are subject to advance planning, requiring a separate archaeological assessment report to be submitted as part of that process.

The proposed flood alleviation works comprise the insertion of two flood defence walls, road realignment, provision of parking spaces and associated footpaths, and alterations to the surface drainage and underground services currently in place. This work will involve the raising of existing defence levels to provide effective and continuous flood defence along the north bank of the South Channel at Morrison’s Island. A comprehensive UAIA was carried out by ADCO in June 2016 as part of the pre-planning requirement for the Lower Lee (Cork City) Drainage Scheme. This work informed the Cultural Heritage chapter of the project Environmental Impact Statement, prepared in partnership with John Cronin and Associates. The current project design at Morrison’s Island remains generally unchanged to that presented in the EIS.

A detailed account of riverbed topography, the existing riverside environment, and any features identified as part of the non-disturbance underwater/waded inspection of the river channel and its attendant quayside structures surround Morrison’s Island was completed as part of ADCO’s assessment.

Five known or previously unrecorded features of historic/industrial archaeological significance have been identified for the area under assessment: Features F001 (Father Matthew Quay), F002 (Morrison’s Quay), F002a (Arched Culvert), F003 (Parliament Bridge) and F004 (Parnell Bridge).

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