County: Kerry Site name: BALLYEGAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 00E0356
Author: Catherine McLoughlin, ADS Ltd.
Site type: House - indeterminate date, Furnace, Pit and Field system
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 495307m, N 611432m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.244654, -9.533083
Monitoring of topsoil-stripping in advance of construction, carried out by Damian Finn, took place in June 2000 at a site in Ballyegan, Castleisland, Co. Kerry, prior to the construction of a block factory at a quarry owned by John A. Woods Ltd. As the topsoil was removed, it became clear that a large number of archaeological features survived in the area. Excavation took place in July and August 2000.
The site measured c. 130m north–south by 75m, with a dense concentration of features towards the middle and north. One definite house structure survived in the middle of the topsoil-stripped area. This took the form of an almost-unbroken circle of close-set stake-holes, 3.5m in diameter. To the north of the structure three small linear ditches were excavated. These were orientated roughly east–west and continued beyond the limit of excavation to the west and east. To the north and east of the site a substantial number of hearths were excavated, along with several features containing slag, one of which was a bowl furnace. Two sherds of Bronze Age pottery were recovered from one of the features.
At the north-western limit of the site the remains of a small field system were excavated. This took the form of several small, interconnecting ditches. Several large pits were also situated in this area. It is possible that these features relate to the enclosure (RMP 39:20), possibly a ringfort, which is situated immediately to the north.
Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3
