County: Kerry Site name: N21 BALLYCARTY TO KILLALLY ROAD SCHEME
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 99E0132 ext.
Author: Rory Sherlock, Aegis Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Excavation - miscellaneous
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 488498m, N 612978m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.257200, -9.633271
Work on this 10km-long road alignment project continued between January and April 2000, an earlier phase of monitoring having been undertaken by Frank Coyne between June and October 1999 (Excavations 1999, 109). The monitoring of the second phase of the project was concentrated in the townlands of Curraghmacdonagh, Ballymacthomas, Gortshanvally, Maglass East, Coolgarriv, Ballyegan, Knockeen and Meanus.
The excavations in Curraghmacdonagh took place between the existing N21 and the River Lee. The excavated material comprised peat deposits and soft yellow clays. The excavations in Ballymacthomas, to the east of the River Lee, related to the construction of the main road line. A number of features were noted close to the existing N21 railway bridge and were subsequently excavated by Tracy Collins (see Excavations 2000, No. 416). The excavations in Gortshanvally and Coolgarriv during this phase of the project were limited to works relating to the construction of new access roads, and no features of interest were noted.
The excavations in Maglass East were also related to the construction of a new access road, and a feature revealed here was excavated by Tracy Collins (see Excavations 2000, No. 438). The excavations in the townland of Ballyegan were relatively extensive, and the excavated material varied from fine topsoil to upwards of 1.2m of peat. A possible brushwood platform was noted in the peat area and was later excavated by the writer (see Excavations 2000, No. 413).
A small feature noted during monitoring at Knockeen, which consisted of a subcircular area of burnt soil and a nearby linear feature, was investigated under the monitoring licence by agreement with Dúchas The Heritage Service. The area of blackened soil measured 0.68m north-west/south-east x 0.6m, was up to 0.12m deep and was surrounded by a 50–70mm-thick deposit of fire-reddened baked soil. The linear feature was 0.36–0.54m in width and 0.18–0.26m in depth and was filled with very fine, compact, grey clayish silt. It was interpreted as a land drain. The excavations in the townland of Meanus were limited to a 10m-wide strip alongside the existing N21, and no features or finds of archaeological interest were noted.
16 Avondale Court, Corbally, Limerick
