2000:0436 - TEERNABOUL, Killarney, Kerry

Non-licensed monitoring was carried out in the Ballyspillane Industrial Estate, Killarney, during the construction of a building for Killarney Plastics Ltd. The planning conditions required an archaeologist to be present during all ground disturbance, including topsoil removal, the excavation of subsoil to floor level and the excavation of the foundations. This stage of the work was undertaken by Annette Quinn. A linear burnt feature became apparent during the course of monitoring. This was reported to Dúchas The Heritage Service, who requested that a licensed archaeologist be present during its excavation; the licence was issued to Margaret McCarthy.

The townland of Teernaboul is located approximately 1km to the east of Killarney town, just off the main Cork–Killarney road. The development is situated on a relatively level area of a south-west-facing slope and is located within an industrial estate. While there were no above-ground archaeological sites within the development area, the SMR for County Kerry indicates that there is quite a density of archaeological sites, particularly ringforts, in the surrounding townlands of Teernaboul and Ballyspillane.

The initial phase of the development began with the removal of topsoil over the entire area of the 2-acre site. The land sloped from north-east to south-west, and this resulted in a variation of topsoil depth from 0.2m to 0.5m. The subsoil consisted of a mixture of grey and orange gravel. Monitoring during the excavation of foundation trenches in the extreme south-eastern side of the development revealed a localised area of burning. All trenching was subsequently halted in this area of the site until an excavation licence was issued by Dúchas.

An area measuring 3m x 3m was opened around the burnt spread in order to expose its full dimensions. It appeared in plan as an extensive spread of burning and had been slightly disturbed at the southern end by the mechanical excavator. Excavation revealed a subrectangular feature measuring 2.63m by 1.64m and 1m in depth. The sides of the cut sloped gradually towards a rounded base. Four separate fills were identified. The primary fill consisted of a dark brown, silty sand with inclusions of small stones, pebbles and occasional flecks of charcoal. It varied in depth from 0.04m to 0.25m. The basal fill was sealed by a deep layer of highly compacted, white, silty sand containing small amounts of lime and charcoal. It reached a maximum depth of 0.49m. Above this layer was a thin lens of charcoal within a loosely compacted, silty sand matrix. It measured 40–60mm in depth. The uppermost layer consisted of a mixed brown and orange, stony sediment with several large fragments of charcoal. The maximum depth was 0.14m.

No datable material finds were recovered during the excavation of this linear feature. The contents of the various layers seem to suggest activity associated with burning. The uppermost layer contained several large fragments of charcoal, suggesting that wood may have been used as fuel. The base and the sides of the cut were orange to yellow in colour, owing to a high level of oxidation. The central layer contained lime, indicating perhaps that the linear feature was associated with industrial activity.