FIBRE-OPTIC CABLE LANDFALL BALLYCOTTON BAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESKTOP REVIEW
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIVING COMPANY LTD.
FIBRE-OPTIC CABLE LANDFALL BALLYCOTTON BAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESKTOP REVIEW
11 August 2014
Project Director Dr. Niall Brady
Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny [email protected]
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIVING COMPANY LTD.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 LIST OF FIGURES 4 1.0 INTRODUCTION 5 2.0 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 6 3.0 ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY 7 4.0 THE RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT 11 5.0 MITIGATION PROPOSALS 18 6.0 APPENDIX 1: RECORDED SHIPWRECKING EVENTS, BALLYCOTTON BAY 23 7.0 APPENDIX 2: KNOWN SHIPWRECKING EVENTS, BALLYCOTTON BAY 32
Archaeological Desktop Review Fibre-optic cable landfall Ballycotton Bay, Co. Cork
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ADCO The Archaeological Diving Company Ltd BMH Beach Manhole DAHG Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht E Easting GSI Geological Survey of Ireland INFOMAR Integrated mapping for the sustainable development of Ireland’s marine resource INSS Irish National Seabed Survey N Northing NGR National Grid Reference NIAH National Inventory of Architectural Heritage NMI National Museum of Ireland OPW Office of Public Works RMP Record of Monuments and Places RPS Record of Protected Structures UKHO United Kingdom Hydrographic Office UTM Universal Transverse Mercator < Less than > More than
ADCO 1
Archaeological Desktop Review Fibre-optic cable landfall Ballycotton Bay, Co. Cork
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Archaeological Diving Company Ltd (ADCO) was commissioned by PiPiper Ltd to undertake an archaeological desktop review of the sea area within Ireland’s 12 nautical mile limit for a fibre-optic cable network, as it makes landfall in Ballycotton Bay, Co. Cork. Desktop assessment is a preliminary stage in archaeological mitigation for any given project. It identifies and charts the known archaeological information within the context of the particular project, and makes appropriate recommendations for further work.
The Beach Manhole (BMH) location is within 40m of an archaeological site, CO 89-78, which has been developed into a residential complex. Investigations in 2006-7 did not reveal material of archaeological significance in this location.
The cable route offshore to 12 nautical miles includes numbers of recorded shipwrecking events and 17 known shipwreck locations. There are five known shipwreck locations that lie within 1500m of the proposed cable centerline, and one shipwreck that lies c. 500m from the centreline. The cable centerline does not directly impact on any known shipwreck site.
There is no archaeological reason why the development proposal should not proceed.
The recommendations of this report include: An archaeological consultant specializing and experienced in maritime and underwater archaeology should be appointed to undertake and/or oversee the archaeological mitigations. Intertidal survey will be necessary at the landfall location. The location of the BMH within 40m of the archaeological site C O 89-78 may anticipate a requirement to investigate areas of impact that are considered to lie close to C O 89-78. The project-specific marine geophysical survey to be carrie d out along the cable route should qualify the presence or the absence of recorded and known wrecksites along the route. The work should also understand the nature of the seabed deposits, to permit informed statements concerning the character of the seabed surface and substrate, and its ability to expose and conceal cultural materials, including shipwrecks and (for the nearshore area) submerged landscapes. Archaeological dive survey may be necessary to cover any data -gaps in the marine geophysical survey, especially between the nearshore and the Low Water Mark. Archaeological dive survey can also be anticipated to inspect anomalies identified in the marine geophysical survey. Inspections in deep water will require ROV/other non-diver means.
ADCO 2
Archaeological Desktop Review Fibre-optic cable landfall Ballycotton Bay, Co. Cork