The first skeletal remains were discovered around two weeks ago under the Cork pub. This led to the discovery of five other bodies.
The skeletal remains of six people have been discovered under a pub in Cork. The former Nancy Spains pub is on Barrack Street, found in the medieval city of Cork.
The disovery came as a shock for those on the site, with Gardaí initially being called upon for an investigation.
However, it was then revealed that the remains were not a matter for investigation, and were instead taken on by various archaeological teams.
Nancy Spains Bar – a former trad hotspot
The pub was formerly a trad music hotspot during the 1990s, being one of Cork’s best-known music venues. Singer-songwriter David Gray played his first Cork gig there in 1992.
Unfortunately, though, the pub fell on hard times during the 2010s and eventually closed. It turns out, the groundworks at the site are of great historical significance.
The area is in fact within the former suburbs of the medieval city of Cork.
A shocking discovery – skeletal remains under the Cork pub
The building was in the process of being demolished in recent weeks when skeletal remains were discovered on the site of the Cork pub.
An excavation took place on the site, with an osteoarchaeologist, a human bones specialist, and a licensed archaeological consultant working to determine the origin of the bones.
No “datable evidence” such as artefacts haven been found along with the remains. However, according to city archaeologist Ciara Bret, the six bodies are believed to predate the 19th century.
A deep search – plans to further investigate the remains
She stated, “The remains are fragmentary and predate the current 19th-century building on the site.
“Given that the site is still being archaeologically investigated, it is not possible at this time to definitively date the remains but they are likely to be 18th century or earlier.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Bret revealed plans for the remains to be further examined by an osteoarchaeologist.
It is hoped that they will, “identify quite a lot of things, such as the sex of the individuals, possible age of them, whether they are adult or juvenile,” she said.
It might also be possible to identify various diseases and possibly the manner in which they died.
Skeletal remains removed – the future of the cork pub site
The skeletal remains were a shocking discovery for those on the site of the Cork pub. However, they have hoped to gain incredible insight into life in the past.
Following the completion of the post-excavation analysis, it is believed that the skeletal remains will be prepared for acquisition by the National Museum of Ireland, or will be re-interred at “an appropriate location”.
Meanwhile, the future of the pub’s resting place is certain. Cork City Council is planning on building 32 apartments on the site.
