2017:145 - Ringaphuca, Dungarvan, Waterford

Testing was undertaken in Ringaphuca, Dungarvan on the footprint of a group of 10 houses to fulfill a planning condition from Waterford City & County Council, planning reference number 16/704. The site is on the eastern edge of the River Colligan estuary 1.7 km north of Dungarvan. The site is bordered by a small stream to the north, the River Colligan to the west, a new housing development to the south and a boreen to the east.

There are two archaeological sites adjacent to the development site in Ringaphuca. There is no surface trace of either of the sites visible. A burial ground WA031-026- is located to the north of the development site in the townland of Ballyneety. It is described as being In pasture on low-lying ground on the north bank of a small east-west stream c. 100 m from its confluence with the Colligan River…It is marked ‘Site of Grave Yard’ on the 1840 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. It was known locally as Cill Bheag – the little church – and was reputedly the burial ground of soldiers who died in a local battle (Power 1952, 141). The second site, a burial ground (WA031-050-), is located in the townland of Ringaphuca in the south-west corner of the development site. According to Power (1952, p. 133) the site is located on the left bank of a little stream falling into the Colligan and is the traditional site of an early burial ground… It is likely that the two burial grounds (WA031-050- & WA031-026-) are in fact a single burial ground and are the same site as that described by Rev. Power (1952).

A total of test seven trenches were excavated by machine on the footprint of the house foundations and access road in Ringaphuca. The trenches measured 1.5m in width and were between 1.2-1.5m in depth. The stratigraphy recorded in all of the trenches was the same. The site is ‘made up’ ground and comprises for the most part a light brown clay with occasional inclusions of builder’s rubbish. According to the owner of the site the area was filled with soil approximately 10 years ago when the large housing estate, located to the immediate east, was being constructed. The ‘made up’ ground was levelled and has compacted over the years. Original ground level and/or subsoil was not recorded in any of the test trenches. The houses will be constructed using raft foundations. These foundations will be constructed in the upper 1m of the ‘made up’ ground. The test trenches were excavated to a depth of up to 1.5m. Therefore, if any archaeological features, including those associated with the possible burial ground (WA031-026- & WA031-050-), are located in the area of the site the construction of the foundations of the houses and access road will not have any impact upon them.

Reference:

Power, Rev., P. 1952 The placenames of the Decies (second edition). Cork University Press.

Eachtra Archaeological Projects Ltd, Lickybeg, Clashmore, Co Waterford