2019:072 - Abbeymahon, Ballynamona & Timoleague, Cork

Monitoring was undertaken as a condition of planning as part of the Courtmacsherry & Timoleague Sewerage Scheme. The development consists of a new Waste Water Treatment Plant, associated pump station and sewerage pipe network which will serve both villages. There are a number of recorded monuments in the immediate vicinity of the scheme including Timoleague Friary (CO123-0500/002), Abbeymahon Cistercian Abbey (CO136-0300/003) and graveyard (CO136-030/002) and a ringfort (CO136-106) located in Cullenagh townland to the north-west of the Waste Water Treatment Plant site.

Monitoring was undertaken over two main phases. Monitoring of topsoil removal at the Waste Water Treatment Plant site, located to the south of the coast road between Timoleague and Courtmacsherry, was carried out over a period of two weeks in July 2018. Topsoil removal along the temporary and permanent access roads and at the site of the treatment plant was fully supervised. The overburden varied from 0.22-0.42m in depth and it overlay natural yellow-grey stony clay into which numerous modern land drains had been cut. Monitoring was also undertaken during trenching of pipeline installation adjacent to Abbeymahon Cistercian Abbey (CO136-030/003) and graveyard (CO136-030/002). In general, between 0.2-0.25m of rubble stone road build-up overlay loose yellow/brown stony natural clays. Re-deposited bands of clay were encountered in places and these are thought to have been formed during the construction of the Timoleague & Courtmacsherry Extension Light Railway. Remnants of the railway track including timbers and corroded bolts were found during monitoring of upgrade works on the estuary bridge in Timoleague village.

The second main phase of monitoring commenced in October 2018 and continued into January 2019. The works were carried out entirely along the coast road to the immediate east of Timoleague Friary. Trenching was to a depth of 1.8m prior to the installation of the sewerage pipes. Two stone-lined drains (C1 & C2) were exposed; one to the south of Timoleague Friary and the other to the north of the main friary buildings. Drain (C1) was exposed at a depth of 1.5m below the road surface and comprised a series of large flat flagstones measuring 1.4m in length. Removal of the flagstones revealed a well-built stone-lined drain measuring 0.6m in width and 0.62m in depth. Horizontally lain shale slabs formed the sides of the drain. The other drain (C2) was exposed at a depth of 0.95m below the road surface to the immediate south of the church and it was similar in proportion to the previously described drain (C1). Both drains will continue to be used as part of the new sewerage scheme.
No finds or features of archaeological significance were exposed during the works.

Rostellan, Midleton, Co. Cork