County: Clare Site name: CAHIRACON (BGE 3/37/5)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1138
Author: Emer Dennehy and Sinéad Madigan, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 522592m, N 655255m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.642979, -9.143786
This site was exposed during monitoring of topsoil-stripping along the route of the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West.
The fulacht lies on the top of a north-west-facing slope, in an elevated, shallow, U-shaped valley. Water would naturally accumulate in the base of the valley, making this an ideal location for a fulacht fiadh. This site is one of a complex of four fulachta fiadh identified on this section of the pipeline, including No. 119, Excavations 2002 (02E1137) and No. 122, Excavations 2002 (02E0952, BGE 3/37/7–8). A medieval culvert and road were also identified in the immediate area.
A total of 89 contexts were identified during the work on the fulacht, which can be divided into six main phases of activity.
Phase I is represented by the initial build-up of peat before fulacht construction.
Phase II (a) is marked by the excavation of a pot-boiler, which measured 0.96m north–south by 1.95m and had a depth of 0.32m.This was in use during the same time period as a number of structural features, which were concentrated in the south-western quadrant of the site. Phase II (b) is represented by the excavation of a second pot-boiler, which cuts the first. It measured 0.58m north–south by 0.42m with a depth of 0.32m. Material from this feature was thrown directly to the south.
Phase III (a) is marked by the excavation of a large trough through the infilled second pot-boiler. The trough measured 2.36m north–south by 1.41m with a depth of 0.63m. It is associated with a hearth site in the south-eastern quadrant. Phase III (b) is represented by a period of abandonment during which the layers within the trough became quite topsoil-like.
Phase IV is identified by the construction of a third pot-boiler, measuring 1m north–south by 0.28m with a depth of 0.19m. This feature was abandoned with the burnt stones from its final use left in situ.
Phase V is marked by the construction of a second trough, measuring 3.21m north-west/south-east by 2.45m and with a depth of 0.45m. During its use the trough was deliberately shortened by being partially backfilled with redeposited natural.
Phase VI is represented by modern disturbance during which two large field drains were excavated across the surface of the mound. At this time land reclamation activities took place, resulting in the truncation of the southern and eastern part of the mound.
This fulacht fiadh is a complex, multi-phase site consisting of a large oval mound associated with three pot-boilers and two large troughs. All of the features, with the exception of the second trough, show evidence of a single phase of use before abandonment. The shortening and reuse of the second trough may indicate a change in function or a scaling down of the user community.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
