Bones have been recovered from a Waterford building site.

Contractors clearing the area, to make way for a department store expansion, found the remains, which are believed to belong to as many as 30 people.

Police were called to the area and deemed the bones too old to be of forensic significance.

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"We were satisfied that no crime had been committed so it's nothing to do with us now - the remains definitely weren't put in there yesterday," said Gardai Sergeant Larry Langton.

Jack Burchill, a local historian, said the area where Egan's, a historic pub, stood until recently was once a Dominican abbey.

Mr Burchill suggested the bones date from the abbey era.

Dave Pollock, supervisor of the excavation, said workers at the site are used to dealing with bits of Waterford's past in a city founded in the 10th century.

The expanded Penneys store will include a section of the old city wall.

(PR/JM)