County: Clare Site name: BALLYNAGARD (BGE 3/31/1)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0951
Author: Brian Halpin, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 526565m, N 654310m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.705830, -9.076389
Topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West uncovered a large, intact fulacht fiadh measuring 17m south-west/north-east by 8m in Ballynagard townland, Co. Clare. The mound consisted of four significant layers, all containing charcoal-rich soil with heat-shattered stones throughout, indicative of numerous episodes of firing from a trough. On removal of the mound, various features within yellow/orange silty clay subsoil were exposed. These were shallow pits with depressions and stone sockets, filled with burnt material and contemporary with the use of the site.
In the north-west area of the site a large, well-defined, partially lined triple trough was excavated. The primary trough measured 2.07m north–south by 1m. It was an elongated cut in the subsoil and underlying bedrock, forming a large linear feature lined with a worked piece of timber, which was 2.9m long and 0.9m wide, with a maximum depth of 0.42m. A slightly concave depression ran down the middle of the timber, with a slight upturn at the edges, to facilitate the storage of water and heated stone. The timber was placed in a cut that was dug out of the subsoil to form a cavity. It was originally believed to be a disused canoe, although it is more likely that it is a previously discarded felled tree reworked to facilitate use in the trough.
At the northern end of the cut holding the timber was a second, kidney-shaped cut containing two further troughs, measuring 3.6m south-west/north-east by 2.6m.
These troughs cut the timber-lined trough. The two cuts had sharply sloping sides leading down to a subcircular U-shaped feature cut into the subsoil and further excavated into the limestone bedrock to form two large bowls lying perpendicular to the initial, lined trough. The first trough lay directly at the northern end of the primary trough, and the second trough was aligned with this cut but to the south-west. These secondary troughs were unlined, although the minor cutting into the bedrock for them was seen to facilitate the holding of water for firing. The fills of all three troughs were very similar, with a very high frequency of charcoal and heat-shattered stone throughout.
To the north-east of the linear trough was a large assemblage of medium-sized and large stones lying on the subsoil surface. These, originally thought to be a metalled surface of some sort, were later seen to be a scattering of stones of no particular pattern that was possibly the result of upcast from the initial digging of the troughs. Three possible post-holes in a roughly straight line on the western side of the trough may have supported a temporary structure. These were subcircular, U-shaped cuts into the subsoil to a maximum depth of 0.25m, with fills containing charcoal and heat-shattered stone.
South-west of the fulacht a second, much smaller feature was uncovered. This was seen as a natural depression used in conjunction with the fulacht as a refuse pit. It measured 6m north-east/south-west by 6.6m, was filled with heat-shattered stone, and had frequent inclusions of charcoal. Also present were large stones and pieces of discarded timber. Specialist reports are forthcoming.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
