Archaeological dig underway

An archaeological dig has begun in East Cork to survey, plot and record the peat landscape long established on Claycastle Beach.

It’s part of the Celtic Interconnector Project, the subsea interconnector linking Ireland and France.

Planned by EirGrid, the archaeological excavation will take place in Youghal over several days, with management of works carried out by Coracle Archaeology, and oversight by the Underwater Archaeology Unit and the National Monuments Service.

Works will consist of a number of shallow pits dug at intervals along the proposed cable route. These works follow on from excavations at the beach last spring. No artefacts of archaeological interest were found during those excavations.

Speaking ahead of the planned works, Michael Mahon, EirGrid’s chief infrastructure officer said: “We, along with our contractors and subcontractors, are working with all stakeholders and agencies to ensure minimal disruption to beachgoers and wildlife while this work is taking place. EirGrid is committed to ensuring the success of this strategic energy project, while respecting the environmental and archaeological features of the area.”

The archaeological team are using state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to carefully excavate and analyse the site.

When constructed, the subsea cable will not be visible at the landfall point at Claycastle Beach. The underground cable will connect to the subsea cable by way of an underground transition joint and the underground landfall point will be fully re-instated following the completion of works.