2020:821 - The Cottage, Ballymurreen, Littleton, Tipperary

Archaeological monitoring of groundworks in relation to the redevelopment of an existing vernacular dwelling at, The Cottage, Ballymurreen, Littleton, Co. Tipperary, was carried out on 7 September 2020.

The site partially falls within the Zone of Notification for a recorded ringfort (TN047-045—-).

Monitored groundworks comprised sod and topsoil stripping in the garden areas to the west and east of the existing cottage.

The first area stripped was located in the garden area on the west side of the dwelling, towards the north-west corner and measured c. 6m north-south by 8m. The sod layer measured 0.15m and overlay a topsoil deposit comprising a mid- to dark brown silty clay with a moderate amount of small sub-rounded stones, which measured 0.2m in depth. The natural subsoil layer comprised a moderately compact orange-brown silty clay with occasional small and medium sized sub-rounded stones. A modern water service pipe was noted towards the western side of the rectangular area that was stripped, running north-south beneath the topsoil layer.

The second area that was stripped was located to the east side of the existing dwelling and measured 10m north-south by c. 5.5m. A sod layer measuring c. 0.1m in depth covered the area. A modern concrete yard surface was exposed beneath the sod layer along with a layer of hard core stone. A shallow drainage ditch was noted towards the centre of the area, running east-west. It was filled with a dark brown silty clay deposit which contained a moderate amount of small and medium sized sub-rounded stones. The underlaying natural deposit comprised a compact, light grey layer of clay with occasional small and medium sized sub-rounded stones.

No archaeological finds, features or deposits were identified during the monitored works.