County: Clare Site name: KILLULLA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0581
Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 540063m, N 664969m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.732484, -8.887442
This site was discovered during monitoring of topsoil-stripping during the Dromoland to Ballycasey Road Improvement Scheme Phase II. The site, AR28B, was subsequently excavated, as it was apparent that the construction of the road would destroy any underlying archaeology.
The semicircular fulacht spread (OD 14.06–13.82m) was cut by a modern field boundary along its eastern edge. It consisted of loose black loam containing 60–70% heat-shattered sandstone and 7% charcoal. It measured 13.5m by 4.5m and had a maximum depth of 0.44m. No finds were recovered from this context.
An oval-shaped pit was located beneath the fulacht spread. Its fill consisted of loose grey loam containing 70% stone, both decayed and heat-shattered, and occasional flecks of charcoal. The eastern edge of this pit was cut by the modern field boundary. Its dimensions were 1.8m by 1.52m and it was U-shaped in profile. The slopes were gentle and gradual, with the break of slope at 0.3m, and the pit reached a depth of 0.35m. There were no finds from this context.
A charcoal sample recovered from the fulacht spread yielded a radiocarbon date of 1680–1390 BC. Three other fulachta fiadh were found in the vicinity of this site: AR28, AR28A and AR28C. These all dated from different periods within the Bronze Age.
15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
