County: Clare Site name: BALLYCULLEN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0748
Author: Brian Halpin, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Burnt spread
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 550141m, N 668162m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.762201, -8.738730
Topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West uncovered a large spread of fulacht fiadh material in Ballycullen townland, Co. Clare. This material overlay an irregularly shaped deposition of preserved timber and branches, lying in the base of a large natural depression in very wet bog. The site had three distinct layers. The upper layer comprised two separate fills of burnt material. The first contained heat-shattered stones and charcoal-rich material, typically associated with a fulacht fiadh. The second fill was similar to the first but with a more intensive deposition of charcoal. The second layer was a moist peaty clay that contained minor amounts of wood.
Below the peat layer was the final area of deposition contained within a hollow in the landscape lying just above a light grey, sandy marl. This was a very dark brown, waterlogged, peaty clay containing large amounts of wood and branches in a very good state of preservation. It is unclear whether the wood was the result of natural deposition or human activity, although the complete absence of markings on the wood points to a possible natural occurrence just before the first period of activity on the site. It is also possible that this wood was purposely placed in the bog to act as a platform for the workings of a hitherto unknown trough. One possible chert scraper was recovered. Specialist reports are forthcoming.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
