County: Louth Site name: TULLYALIAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Mr. A.E.P. Collins, Historic Monuments Branch, Ministry of Finance
Site type: Embanked enclosure
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 704329m, N 777511m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.736795, -6.418633
This large and rather irregular banked enclosure nearly 1 mile NE of the Lisdrumchor Upper ring-work was also threatened by a farm improvement scheme. In modern times it was utilised as an orchard and much of its eastern side revetted externally with a mortared masonry wall. Excavation in August showed a depth of up to 2 ft of modern humus overlay the boulder clay subsoil. The latter preserved near the centre of the monument an array of postholes, most of which contained some charcoal traces; some, too, had packing stones. A small steep sided circular pit 2 ft in diameter had a large number of stones in its earthen fill. To the W of the postholes was a long, almost vertical-sided trench or gulley about 2 ft wide and dug 1ft 6 ins into the boulder clay. The earthen fill contained much charcoal as well as a random scatter of stones.
The postholes presumably indicate a central hut or house, though they do not show any undoubted ground plan. The absence of any hearth site near these is noteworthy.
No early finds were made. As at Lisdrumchor Upper, the lack of finds is curious and perhaps indicates that these two ring-works functioned as cattle enclosures.
