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The Augustinian priory of St Catherine was founded before 1200. Building work on the priory was still continuing in 1290 when King John is claimed as its original founder. It was suppressed in 1540, at which time the church was still standing, and a map of 1590 depicts four roofed ranges within the star-shaped fort (WA009-005050-). The ruins are shown on both Phillips’ map (1685) and a late 17th-century map published in Ryland (1824, 106ff.).
The site is probably between the courthouse and the Protestant Hall on Catherine St. An account of the Hall (Anon. 1860, 67) describes the ruins as close the Hall and the bridge, and the last remnants were removed in building the hall. See this web-page accessed on 6/03/2016, courtesy of Simon Dowling: http://www.gospelmagazine.org.uk/february1860.pdf
The grave of an ecclesiastic with a bronze signet ring was discovered there during its construction (Anon 1858-9, 242). Archaeological testing (080165) on the Bolton St. Yard, c. 50-100m N-NE of the courthouse, produced evidence of deep silts (T 4-9m) 1.4-1.9m below the present surface (Giacometti 2011). The silts were overlaid by 18th and 19th century industrial rubble but were shallowest at the W, suggesting that the island may have been in that direction, but no evidence of St. Catherine's was encountered. (Bradley et al. 1989, vol. 2, 253-4)
Anon. (1858-9) Proceedings. JRSAI, vol. 5, 3-16, 33-48, 57-67, 93-109, 149-56, 199-215, 239-52, 281-90, 313-17, 349-54, 397-400, 441-50.
Anon (1860) The Waterford Protestant Hall, and Sunday-school Institute. The Gospel Magazine (01/02/1860) P 67-70
Bradley, J., Halpin, A. and King, H. (1989) Urban archaeology Survey of Waterford City and County, 2 vols. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works.
Giacometti, A. (2011) Proposed OPW offices, Bolton Street, Waterford. Urban. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2008: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 364, No. 1244. Wordwell. Dublin.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of revision: 6 March 2016
Compiled by: Michael Moore
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