County: Laois Site name: DERRY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 95E0092
Author: Carmel Duffy
Site type: Fulacht fiadh
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 636645m, N 711057m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.148767, -7.452179
This excavation consisted of three areas of fulacht fiadh material along a 125m stretch of the Portlaoise Bypass. Site 1 had a pit-trough, subrectangular in shape, 2.3m x 1.5m x 0.4m, a posthole in the corner of the feature, and nearby a linear depression 6.6m x 1m x 0.14m.
Site 2 had a pit, circular, 1.2m in diameter, 0.2m deep, filled with 85% stones, a D-shaped spread of stony fulacht fiadh material, and a series of shallow trenches 50–100mm deep crossing the spread, forming cultivation ridges.
Site 3 had a spread of fulacht fiadh material of indeterminate shape, also apparently crossed by cultivation trenches. The deposit here was 10–250mm deep.
At both Sites 2 and 3 the deposit ran into the baulk at the edge of the take of the road, so neither planning nor excavation of these features could be completed.
There were no surface mounds prior to excavation, no finds or animal bones; the sites were in a boggy depression.
Umberstown Great, Summerhill, Co. Meath, for Project Director V.J. Keeley, 29/30 Duke St., Athy, Co. Kildare
