County: Clare Site name: CLONMONEY NORTH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0688
Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia and Kiln
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 543633m, N 662841m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.713748, -8.834221
This site was discovered during the Dromoland to Ballycasey Road Improvement Scheme Phase II. At construction phase topsoil-stripping was monitored along the proposed road route and a fulacht site (AR41B) was identified to the east of the existing N18 along the northern edge of the proposed new section of R471 east of AR41, which was classified as a well.
The area exposed measured approximately 18m by 13m. The removal of the topsoil revealed a fulacht spread of heat-shattered sandstone and charcoal and numerous archaeological features. A furrow and a drain cut the spread at its northern edge. Excavation identified two troughs and two pits beneath the fulacht spread. One of these pits was of particular interest as twelve stake-holes were cut into the base, and three stake-holes were cut into the natural to the north of the pit. A post-hole was also evident beneath the fulacht spread, located north of the trough.
To the south of the site a wedge-shaped kiln of early Bronze Age (2490–2130 BC) date was evident. This was filled with oxidised clay with charcoal flecks. Two pieces of chert recovered from the fill of the kiln represented the only finds from this site.
A radiocarbon date (1490–1200 BC) was obtained from a charcoal sample from the fulacht spread. This indicated that the fulacht fiadh dated from the mid- to late Bronze Age and hence was unrelated to the much earlier kiln. Further stripping in the adjacent area failed to identify any other archaeological features.
15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
