1974:062 - SLUGGARY, Limerick

Supplementary cuttings were made in two places on the defences to examine specific problems posted by the 1973 excavation. It became clear that the central bank at least had a stone foundation.

The main excavation in 1974 was concentrated in the central area of the fort where a total of 295 sqm. has now been excavated. Trial cuttings were made in the western part of the fort.

In the central area a complex arrangement of postholes and pits were found. Many of the postholes were very well made and in some of them charred stumps of the posts were still held in position with packing stones. In one area there was evidence of a wattle built structure, with very narrow deep stakeholes which had apparently been burnt in-situ. There was one well preserved cist-like hearth which contained much burnt material.

Running east-west across the area excavated there was a “bank” averaging 2m wide composed of sticky red clay. The bank was particularly marked towards the east where its outline could be seen clearly on the ground before excavation; it became progressively lower towards the west. At the east end the south side of the bank appeared to be edged by a line of stones, but all other evidence suggested that the bank was a natural feature of the boulder clay. In no case were any finds made in or below the bank, and all the pits and postholes which occurred here were cut in the bank and sometimes through it and into the underlying soil. There was a concentration of iron objects on the surface of the bank and in the pits cut in it, which might be due to its being a better type of soil for the preservation of iron.

The finds included nails pins and knives of iron, and some slug and furnace bottoms. Other objects include a bronze ring headed pin, an ornamented bone comb and a bone handle, and fragments of clay moulds.

It is hoped that the area will now be left comparatively undisturbed within the housing scheme.