County: Clare Site name: KILLULLA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0582
Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 540044m, N 665019m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.732931, -8.887732
The N18/N19 road improvement scheme involves the construction of a new dual carriageway from Ballycasey northwards to Latoon South. At construction phase topsoil-stripping was monitored along the proposed road route and a fulacht fiadh was identified. The site, AR28C, was subsequently excavated, as it was apparent that the construction of the road would destroy any underlying archaeology.
The site consisted of a fulacht spread which consisted of mid-brown loose loam containing 50% medium-sized stones. It was cut on its north-eastern edge by a modern field drain. The drain ran in a north-west to south-east direction and joined with the existing field boundary to the east of the fulacht spread. The fulacht spread was subrectangular in shape. It was cut by a modern field boundary at its eastern edge. It consisted of loose black loam containing 60–70% heat-shattered sandstone and 10% charcoal. Its maximum dimensions were 11m by 14.75m and it had a maximum depth of 0.5m. There were no finds from this context.
A trough was exposed beneath the fulacht spread. This was an oval-shaped feature and its fill consisted of loose mid-brown loam containing sandy gravel and 60% redeposited peat. The cut for this trough was U-shaped in profile and measured 3m by 1.9m. Its sides were steep to the north, where the break of slope was 0.2m; elsewhere the slope was very gentle and gradual, with the break of slope at 0.8m on average. This trough reached a depth of 0.5m (OD 14.73m) and was cut into natural. There were no finds from this context.
Radiocarbon analysis of a charcoal sample from the fulacht spread produced a Bronze Age date of 1400–1030 BC. Three other fulachta were found near this site: AR28, AR28A and AR28B. These all dated from different periods within the Bronze Age.
15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
