1999:483 - BALLYCUMMIN, Limerick

Various stages of archaeological investigation were undertaken at Ballycummin between September 1998 and May 1999 in association with the construction of a new computer factory by Dell Products (Europe) B.V. and in compliance with a condition of planning permission issued by Limerick County Council. The investigations also covered the installation of a dual carriageway connecting the factory with the new Loughmore link road and associated storm and foul drains by Shannon Free Airport Development Company Ltd.

Phase 1 involved the pre-development testing of seven potential archaeological sites noted in the environmental impact statement and on aerial photography of the factory site. A single trench was mechanically excavated at each site, six of which were 15m long, with the remaining trench 10m long. No archaeological evidence was noted during this work.

The factory construction site is on the demesne of Roche Castle—an early 19th-century house. Most of the features encountered in the monitoring of groundworks (Phase 2) relate to farming activity associated with the house. However, to the south-west of the site a fulacht fiadh was uncovered in the digging of a trench for a temporary telecom supply to the contractor's compound. The ploughed-out burnt spread lies immediately under the sod and is 15–19m long and 0.1–0.55m thick. The feature is outside the area of development, and the trench was backfilled following examination and recording.

Phase 3, construction of the dual carriageway to the factory and an ancillary road, necessitated the removal of portions of a trackway, SMR 13:151. A metal-detector survey was undertaken over the stretches of trackway to be removed, which totalled 120m in length. Of 570 readings recorded, 565 were ferrous. Three trenches, each measuring 10m x 1m, were excavated by hand across the feature. These revealed a stone construction, with an elaborate French drain underneath in one of the cuttings. The artefacts recovered include delftware, stoneware sherds, clay pipes, red brick, mortar pieces, glass and iron objects. The trackway is 19th-century in date and may have been used to ferry stone from a nearby quarry to Roche Castle.

Four fulachta fiadh were uncovered during monitoring of the construction of the dual carriageway, ancillary road and associated storm and foul drains (Phase 4). All the sites were subsequently excavated by hand, as two were within the area of road construction while the other two lay close to inserted drains that would affect the hydrology of those sites. All of the fulachta fiadh were evident as ploughed-out spreads and were further interfered with by 19th-century tillage furrows and French drains.

Fulacht fiadh 1 was a rectangular trough measuring 2.6m x 1.65m and 0.35m deep dug into the subsoil. The burnt spread, with an overall diameter of 8.5m, though close by, was completely separate from the trough.

Fulacht fiadh 2 was close to No. 1. The burnt spread measured 9.5m x 7.5m and covered eleven hollows of varying shapes and sizes. Some of these are likely to have been natural depressions; some may have been modified; and others are likely to have been entirely man-made.

Fulacht fiadh 3 consisted of three separate burnt spreads measuring 11m x 4.5m, 10m x 3m and 5.5m x 4m. Two large pits were connected with one of the spreads, one of which is likely to be modern.

Fulacht fiadh 4 was a rectangular trough measuring 2.4m x 1.4m and 0.35-0.4m deep dug into the subsoil. The presence of stake-holes indicated that it was originally timber-lined. The trough was surrounded by a burnt spread measuring 12m x 8.5m.