County: Clare Site name: CAHIRACON (BGE 3/37/4)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1137
Author: Emer Dennehy and Ross Macleod, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 522532m, N 655166m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.642167, -9.144652
The site was exposed during monitoring of topsoil-stripping along Section 3 of the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West, from Goatisland, Co. Limerick, to Gort, Co. Galway, c. 200m west of the main Kildysart to Shannakea Beg Road. It was close to the base of a shallow valley, which extends c. 500m to the north. Peat extends along the length of the valley floor, although there are areas that have been extensively drained to allow for agricultural use of this wetland.
A large horseshoe-shaped mound, with an area of 19.5m north–south by 9m available for excavation, was exposed within the Bord Gáis Éireann wayleave. The mound had a maximum depth of 0.72m, with a peat covering of up to 0.52m over most of the site. Six phases of activity were identified at the site, with two associated wooden troughs.
Trough 1 was subrectangular, 2.2m by 1.44m by 0.2m deep, and lined with alder planks; only three base planks remained preserved. Trough 2 was not excavated owing to the constraints of the Bord Gáis Éireann wayleave at this location. A channel was excavated connecting the two troughs, showing a requirement for the moving of liquid. Two groups of pegs were identified to the south and west that may have functioned as fish-drying/curing racks or in activity associated with textile production.
After a period of abandonment Trough 1 was rebuilt, this time using oak as base and side planks. Two firing areas from this period were identified in the mound. The site was again abandoned for an extended period, allowing for the regrowth of peat.
Activity started again at the site with the construction of a large stone platform, 4m east–west by 3.24m, which backfilled Trough 1 and the channel connecting it to Trough 2. This shows a change of use at the site, focusing on the unexcavated Trough 2. This was the final use of the fulacht fiadh, with peat regrowing across the area. The land was extensively drained for agricultural use within the last twenty years.
The detailed construction of the two-phased Trough 1 and the channel connecting the two troughs indicates a high level of social and community organisation. It also illustrates that there was a considerable amount of forethought and planning before the start of building. The function of the site is not clearly discernible, although the shallow depth of Trough 1 indicates that it could not have been used for cooking. We can therefore only conclude that the fulacht may have been used in the processing of textiles such as wool/flax or animal skins.
Approximately 20% of the site remains unexposed, with results still pending for environmental sampling, tree species identification and radiocarbon dates.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
