County: Clare Site name: CLOONAGOWAN (BGE 3/6/3)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1334
Author: Emer Dennehy for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Ring-ditch and Cremation pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 538518m, N 686190m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.923016, -8.914314
The site was exposed during monitoring of topsoil-stripping along Section 3 of the Bord Gáis Éireann Pipeline to the West. The site is in the townland of Cloonagowan, on the south-facing cusp of a low, flat-topped hill, and commands extensive views of the surrounding terrain. It is 300m west of Inchicronan Lough and 300m north of the Millbrook River. The site consisted of three main elements: an isolated cremation pit, a ring-ditch with internal pits, and an arrangement of pits and posts north of the ring-ditch.
The initial activity on-site relates to an isolated cremation pit, measuring 0.49m east–west by 0.43m by 0.17m deep. It contained a single charcoal-enriched fill with burnt limestone and cremated bone. A stake associated with the ring-ditch truncated the pit. It is assumed that this cremation pit is related to and of the same phase as an additional cremation pit identified 75m to the north-east (see No. 148, Excavations 2002, 02E1339)
The ring-ditch was subcircular, with a terminal identified in the south-west quadrant; it represents the second phase of use of the site. The ring-ditch had an internal diameter of 14m and averaged 0.7m deep; it filled in naturally. The ditch was recut at five locations. The recuts averaged 0.2m deep and were backfilled with large pieces of limestone. Eleven pits, two stakes and a small slot-trench were identified within the ring-ditch. No structures were identified. Three conjoined pits exhibiting evidence of intensive burning were identified within the terminal of the ditch. The retrieval of charcoal and animal bone appears to indicate that the function of these pits was domestic, presumably for cooking.
There was a small double arc of stakes and posts 0.6m north of the ring-ditch. This was 9.5m long and was oriented east-west. Most of the stakes were removed before in situ decay. This feature may extend outside the limit of the Bord Gáis wayleave.
No artefacts were retrieved from the site.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
