County: Cork Site name: BALLINASPIG MORE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0546
Author: Donald Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 562138m, N 569202m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.873722, -8.549850
In the process of test-trenching along the proposed route of the N22 Ballincollig Bypass, a deposit of loose, black silt/sand was noted. The deposit contained large quantities of heat-cracked stone and was typical of a fulacht spread. Subsequently the surrounding area was stripped of topsoil and the extent of the deposit and associated features was established. The maximum dimensions of the deposit were 4.5m by 2.75m and it sat within a cut with a maximum depth of 0.21m. The cut had gently sloping sides and a bowl-shaped base.
To the south of the fulacht spread was a deposit of dark orange silty clay with charcoal inclusions, measuring 1.4m by 0.8m and within a cut 0.1m deep. It seems probable that this was a hearth associated with use of the fulacht. A shallow depression lay further to the south and was filled with fulacht material. Measuring 1.5m by 0.7m and with a depth of 0.05m, the depression could never be identified as a trough even though the site had been truncated by ploughing. No finds were recovered and the excavated deposits were too poor in charcoal for adequate dating samples to be obtained.
15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
