County: Kerry Site name: GORTATLEA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0427
Author: Michael Connolly, Ægis Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Burnt spread
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 491773m, N 610254m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.233380, -9.584439
This report details the archaeological resolution of a levelled fulacht fiadh identified in the licensed monitoring of topsoil-stripping along the line of a drainage pipeline, as part of the construction works for the realignment of the N22 between Bealagrellagh and Gortatlea, Co. Kerry.
The burnt spread occurred as a loose, black soil with fire-shattered red sandstone and charcoal. It extended along the pipeline corridor for a length of 2.2m north–south and across part of the corridor for a distance of 2.6m east–west. The deposit was a maximum of 0.19m in depth and got gradually more shallow from north to south.
The Gortatlea site represents only the barest remains of a probable fulacht fiadh and therefore it is difficult to make any suggestions as to its size, etc. Yet the composition of the burnt spread and the siting of the find is consistent with sites of this type.
A curved, heavy, worked timber recovered 14m from the spread possibly represents the remains of a wooden trough associated with the fulacht fiadh, yet the possibility that it represents something entirely different should not be discounted.
16 Avondale Court, Corbally, Limerick
