County: Clare Site name: CAHERNALOUGH (BGE 3/14/2)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1477
Author: Brian Halpin, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 533705m, N 680442m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.870796, -8.984696
Topsoil-stripping on the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West revealed the partially exposed remains of a small fulacht fiadh in Cahernalough townland, Co. Clare. This site was just south of a small, fast-flowing stream in an undulating landscape of low-lying hills. This site measured 11m east–west by 9.2m and revealed six separate layers of fill. A layer of peat with inclusions of organic matter covered most of the site. This was removed by hand to reveal five individual layers of heat-shattered sandstone with inclusions of charcoal. These contexts containing typical mound material were removed down to the subsoil, which was a natural deposit of very compact sandstone. This sandstone was not interpreted as a result of fulacht fiadh activity but was a natural deposit, which would have been readily used for firing in the trough.
After the layers of burnt material were removed, a small subcircular trough was identified, measuring 1.36m east–west by 1.34m. The trough, which was U-shaped with sharp sides and a generally flat base, was a maximum of 0.32m deep and contained numerous charcoal flecks with moderate amounts of burnt sandstone at the base, probably remaining from the last period of activity.
A modern field drain running north-east/south-west in the northern half of the area was the only other feature identified in this site. No artefacts were recovered. Specialist reports are forthcoming.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
