Skeletal remains reveal a violent history on Leeside

Archaeological investigations carried out on 6 human skeletal remains found under a pub on Barrack Street have revealed that 4 of them met “a violent and gruesome end”.

The 6 individuals were first uncovered within footprint of 48 Barrack Street, formerly Nancy Spain’s Pub, in October last year. It was originally thought that remains were from the 18th century or earlier. However, further investigation at the site has found that 4 of the individuals had been buried in a head-to-toe manner with their hands tied behind their backs and their feet bound in what archaeologists have described as a “mass burial pit”.

Small fragments of bone taken from 2 of the skeletons to facilitate radiocarbon dating have returned dates from the period between AD 1447 and 1636.

According to osteo-archaeologist Niamh Daly, who assisted archaeologist David Murphy with the initial excavation last October, the context of the burials indicates the individuals were not treated in a respectful manner.

“In fact, it was evident that all 4 individuals were buried in a manner which suggests that the hands or wrists were bound behind the backs, and it is likely that the feet or ankles were also bound,” she said.

Post-excavation work is ongoing but laboratory analysis by Ms Daly has revealed that all 6 individuals were male, three of whom were young adults aged approximately between 18 and 25.

According to the most recent archaeological report on the site, the estimated sex, age and the nature and position of burial points to a military connection for the revealed remains. The period of death indicated by the radiocarbon dating was a turbulent and violent time in Irish history, with Munster and Cork the focus of several significant events.

These included the first Desmond Rebellion (1569-1573), the second Desmond Rebellion (1579-1583), the Nine Years War (1593-1603) which culminated with the Battle of Kinsale, and a revolt in Cork City in 1603.

This revolt followed the death of Elizabeth I and saw the citizens of Cork rise up against English rule, resulting in the burning of the precursor to Elizabeth Fort, located just 80m from the burial site. The revolt continued for a month before it was quelled by English reinforcements.

Other finds

Prior to the discoveries of the 6 skeletal remains, archaeologists found a previously unknown and exceptionally large defensive cut feature (ditch) which has been dated to the period between the early 11th and mid-12th century, a time when the city was being developed by the Hiberno-Scandinavians – descendants of the Vikings who had intermixed with native Irish people. The excavation revealed a section of a ditch measuring 24m in length (northwest to southeast), up to 9.6m wide and up to 2.9m deep.

David Murphy, the archaeologist who excavated the site, said: “The Barrack Street ditch discovery raises new questions on the extent of the late 11th/early 12th century Hiberno-Scandinavian settlement in Cork. While there is a growing corpus of evidence relating to the Hiberno-Scandinavian settlement on the south island, the actual extent of settlement on the south bank of the Lee is still unclear. The presence of this defensive ditch feature, some 300 metres upslope and to the southwest of the accepted area of settlement, may suggest that the settlement was more extensive than previously thought.”