2025:196 - Ballinrea 6, Cork
County: Cork
Site name: Ballinrea 6
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A
Licence number: E005462
Author: Siobhan McNamara, Rubicon Heritage Ltd.
Author/Organisation Address: The Glen Distillery Business Park, Old Whitechurch Road, Kilnap, Cork T23 HY01
Site type: Burnt stone spreads, associated pits and kiln
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 571660m, N 566257m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.847808, -8.411332
Excavation at Ballinrea 6, as part of the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy Project, Co.
Cork, revealed prehistoric, early medieval and post-medieval to early modern activity. The site was made up of four areas (A–D). Prehistoric activity was evidenced by remnants of heavily disturbed burnt stone spreads and associated pits (possibly the remains of troughs) in Area A, while a stone-lined, keyhole-shaped cereal-drying kiln within the same cutting is likely early medieval in date. Post-medieval to early modern activity was evidenced in the presence of a drainage feature and field boundary ditch. Several unphased pits were also recorded.
A total of 10 artefacts including a piece of oxidised clay, post-medieval pottery, clay tobacco pipe fragments and a worked stone were recovered during the excavation. The worked stone may have been a pin-sharpener. Archaeological materials in the form of charred plant remains (cereal grain, nutshell and charcoal, mostly oak) were also recovered.
Area A: 571660,566257; Area B: 571558,566301; Area C:571603,566269; Area D:
571636, 566304.