2020:208 - Community Hospital of the Assumption, Racecourse Road, Gortataggart, Thurles, Tipperary

Archaeological monitoring took place on 7/8 September within the grounds of Thurles Hospital prior to the development of 685m² Covid Ward, built as part of emergency Covid-19 legislation. The construction, appended to the northern end of the eastern extent of the current hospital arrangement, is orientated east to west and measures c. 75m by 25m. Monitoring was preceded, on 3 September, by topsoil striping of an adjacent area to accommodate the construction of a site compound and offices.
Additional work commissioned was the construction of a Temporary Outpatients' Building between the maintenance building area at the west and the construction compound at the east. The trench for a new electricity supply duct was also excavated to connect to the hospital grounds at the north side of the site and beneath the new Temporary Outpatients' building. This ran to south to circumvent the Covid Ward along its west side and then turned to east to connect to the existing hospital’s eastern aspect. The ground works for both the outpatients and the electricity supply took place between 28 September and 27 October. Report were produced on 10 September and 30 October 2020. Supplemental information – survey results, a record of the workhouse infirmary wall and analysis of its mortar composition was included in the 30 October report. Workhouse external walls, drains, a waste water tank, yards, a dining hall, chapel, an infirmary and idiots' ward as well as stairwell foundations, inclusive of subsequent 1861 renovation works, were all recorded during the work.

Cashel, Co. Tipperary