2023:811 - Monkstown, River Lee Estuary, Cork, Cork

Archaeological assessment was undertaken of a section of intertidal foreshore at Monkstown, Co. Cork, as part of pre-planning measures for the proposed Monkstown Marina project. The proposed development is to comprise the construction of a rock-armour revetment, behind which the foreshore will be reclaimed to facilitate a number of marina buildings. ADCO carried out an UAIA of the wider area in 2009, as part of a previously proposed marina development which was not progressed past planning, licence numbers 09D0031 and 09R0085. The present development, which is substantially smaller in scale, is located solely within the inter-tidal zone and does not extend into the sub-tidal area.

The current assessment comprised systematic visual inspection and sample metal detection of the intertidal foreshore along a 440m section of the shoreline, ITM 576745EE, 565745N (southwest) – ITM 577002E, 566096N (northeast). The assessment sought to record foreshore topography, assess the potential of intertidal deposits to retain archaeological material, and identify any additional features/structures of archaeological significance that are present.

The inter-tidal zone measures between c. 45m – c. 65m on a Spring Low Water. The upper foreshore is delineated by a 3m+ high masonry retaining-wall (sea-wall), which is encased by concrete along much of its extent. The foreshore slopes from the base of the sea-wall at c. 15º angle towards the LWM.

Two features of archaeological/historical interest were encountered as part of the survey, comprising the aforementioned sea wall (STR01) and a cast-iron lamp-post (STR02) located upon the adjacent roadside. Neither feature will be directly impacted by the proposed development, foreshore reclamation abutting a c. 300m section of the sea-wall, while the lamp-post is situated outside the development boundary.

No other features of archaeological and/or historical interest were encountered as part of the foreshore survey. However, a number of finds were recovered as part of the metal-detection survey, highlighting the potential for the upper deposit of the foreshore to retain items of archaeological/historical value. These include: two possible ingots, a lead musket ball, a Napoleon III centimes piece, two foreign pre-decimal coins, and a George VI, silver half-crown.

The survey was completed on 14 December 2023.