County: Wicklow Site name: CRONYKEERY II
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0404
Author: Ian W. Doyle for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 729063m, N 698685m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.023278, -6.076130
A small fulacht fiadh was excavated in the townland of Cronykeery, Co. Wicklow, in May 2001. The site was detected during the monitoring of topsoil-stripping for the Hollybrook–Wicklow Bord Gáis Éireann pipeline. The Cronykeery II excavation was approximately 2km north-west of Ashford and some 2km inland from the Wicklow coastline. The site, in present-day terms, is within a tract of land bounded on the west by the N11 and on the east by the Rathnew–Newcastle R761 regional road.
Prior to excavation the site, as revealed by topsoil-stripping, consisted of a spread of burnt material which was visible against the light brown natural boulder clays. A small area was opened for excavation by hand and measured approximately 6.6m north–south by 4–5m. This corresponded with the eastern area of the pipeline driving track. The western area of the pipeline corridor had been badly disturbed by the insertion of land drains in comparatively recent times.
Excavation revealed that the archaeological features survived as cut features (a ditch, two pits and stake-holes). Elements of open stratigraphy which had not been removed by land reclamation or ploughing also remained. The features detected nestled in a shallow depression in which the burnt mound had fulfilled a levelling function.
The earliest feature detected during the excavation was a portion of a curvilinear ditch in the northern part of the area examined. The cut for this comprised a U-shaped, flat-bottomed ditch with sloping sides, which had been excavated into natural subsoil. A curving length of approximately 3m of the ditch was revealed, running north–south for 2m before turning abruptly to the south-west for a distance of 1m. The cut measured 1.1m wide at the north, narrowing to 0.58m at the south-west, and was 0.52–0.49m deep.
The sole fill of the ditch consisted of a moderately compact, water-retentive, light grey silty clay with yellowish-brown flecking. This contained occasional inclusions of small stones and decayed timber fragments. Analysis of the timber fragments has found traces of ash, hazel, alder and elm. The full extent of the ditch was not revealed. It extended to the north-west of the pipeline corridor into an area that had been badly damaged by the insertion of field drains.
A large trough or pit was detected in the north-eastern corner of the area examined. This was a substantial oval cut into natural stratigraphy, measuring 1.5m north–south by 1.36m with a depth of 0.8m. It had a U-shaped profile with a concave base and sloping sides. The fill consisted of a waterlogged, loosely compacted, grey silty clay with frequent inclusions of burnt, heat-shattered stone. A second pit, possibly a very shallow trough, was excavated some 2.5m to the south-west. This additional pit was a small cut into natural boulder clay.
In the area between the two pits a setting of stones was revealed. It consisted of two clusters of medium-sized stones which were sealed by burnt mound material. The northern cluster of stones formed a C-shaped setting open to the east, partly enclosing an area measuring 0.4m north–south by 0.5m. The southern setting of three stones, to the north of the smaller pit, partly enclosed an area measuring 0.4m east–west by 0.25m. The northern cluster, in particular, was at the time of excavation considered likely to be a hearth, but no ash or other indications of soil oxidation from heat were observed.
The burnt mound material was the initial indication of the presence of archaeological material at the Cronykeery II site. It consisted of an extensive layer of moderately compact black, fire-cracked stone and clay measuring approximately 6m north–south by 4.3m with a depth of 0.2–0.4m at the time of excavation.
A line of stake-holes was detected to the south and south-east of the burnt mound material. This formed a curving arc running east–west from the south-western limit of excavation before turning to run south-west/north-east. In total some twelve stake-holes were traced for a length of 4.5m. These were shallow, narrow impressions left by the tips of posts which may have formed a windbreak or post-and-wattle fence.
The results of radiocarbon dating analysis are awaited.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
