County: Cork Site name: CARRIGROHANE (Site C)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 73:104 Licence number: 01E0444
Author: Donald Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 563482m, N 571313m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.892784, -8.530549
The N22 Ballincollig Bypass scheme involves the construction of a new dual carriageway between Bishopstown (Ballinaspig More Td) and Ovens (Knockanemore Td) and covers an area of 750,000m2. A desk-based survey was commissioned during the design stage of the bypass. This identified five known archaeological sites which might be affected by the road-building. One of these sites, Site C, a fulacht fiadh, was suspected to be relatively intact as the mound was still very obvious.
The road would impact directly on the site so excavation was recommended in advance of the commencement of road construction. Excavation revealed that the fulacht mound had been badly disturbed by ploughing and that the furrows extended into the natural subsoil below the fulacht. Nevertheless the underlying features were not particularly badly damaged by this later disturbance. Four approximately circular pits cutting natural subsoil below the mound were associated with the use of the fulacht and may have functioned as troughs. In the more recent past a rectangular, timber-built structure had been built on the western side of the fulacht mound. Most recently a drain had been cut into the mound and the eastern side of the mound had been disturbed by a possible crossing-point over the ditch to the north of the site.
Unfortunately no hearth was found, nor were any other relevant features. The results of dating from charcoal samples are awaited.
15 Trinity Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth
