County: Clare Site name: BALLYCORICK
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1185
Author: Brian Halpin, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Industrial site and Enclosure
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 528324m, N 666679m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.746429, -9.061589
Topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West uncovered a complex area of disturbance in the townland of Ballycorick in County Clare. The site encompassed an area measuring 18.5m south-west/north-east by 19.5m. The whole site was initially covered by topsoil containing charcoal-rich material with heat-shattered sandstone, with distinctive charcoal-rich features scattered throughout. Five irregularly shaped pits were excavated, all of which had charcoal-rich fills with associated iron pan. Slag was recovered from them, and they were interpreted as possible smelting pits. The largest, measuring 2.05m north–south by 1.9m, contained three fills. The lowest fill had slag in situ, with the remaining fills having formed as natural deposition. Adjacent to these pits, 2.4m north-east, was a dense concentration of stake-holes that did not form a discernible pattern. North of these two features a large pit was identified, subrectangular and U-shaped with steeply sloping sides. It contained numerous fills, all with inclusions of small and medium-sized stones. It is possible, owing to the presence of the water table in the flat base, that this was a shallow well later used as a stone dump.
Impinging on all of these features along the extent of the entire site was a very well-defined ditch 30m long and 1.25m wide with a maximum depth of 0.96m. This ditch was U-shaped and very deep in areas, cutting through the pits, post-holes, stone dump and stake-holes. It had an abrupt shallow terminus just at the edge of excavation, which led down from a slight rise in the topography to a very boggy waterlogged area, and was seen as an irrigation ditch. Further post-medieval/modern field drains were also found to be heading in this south-eastward direction, all terminating in this general area.
This site is a possible production area that may be associated with two large fulachta fiadh 290m to the north-east (see No. 82, Excavations 2002, 02E1186). The only finds recovered were the possible slag pieces. Specialist reports are forthcoming.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
