County: Louth Site name: FARRANDERG, Dundalk
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 95E0113
Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services
Site type: Fulacht fiadh
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 703129m, N 808210m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.012799, -6.426503
Archaeological testing of a proposed housing development at Farrandreg, Castletown, Dundalk, Co. Louth, was carried out in June 1995. The entire site is within a zone of archaeological potential which exists around Castletown motte. Besides the motte itself, a souterrain is located close to the southern boundary of the site and a church and a castle just north of the site. A total of 20 trenches were excavated at various locations around the site.
The natural boulder clay was generally exposed directly below the sod and the shallow topsoil. The field was ploughed within living memory and ploughsoil existed in Trench 15. The only feature of archaeological interest is the remains of a ploughed-out fulacht fiadh which was uncovered during the excavation of Trench 12. The full limit of the feature was not exposed but it covered an area of at least 9m2. No finds were recovered from it and there was no evidence for the trough. The fulacht is located quite close to swampy ground along the east edge of the site and it is possible that more fulachta exist within the site, although no evidence was found in any of the other trenches. Further work will be carried out on the site when and if the development proceeds.
30 Laurence St., Drogheda, Co. Louth
