2002:0216 - BALLINASPIG MORE 6, Cork

Monitoring was carried out as part of the N22 Ballincollig Bypass Scheme in the townland of Ballinaspig More. This revealed a spread of burnt-mound material, which on excavation was identified as a fulacht fiadh. It was situated less than 50m west of a second fulacht fiadh, Ballinaspig More 7 (No. 217, Excavations 2002, 02E1233), and c. 240m north-west of a possible Bronze Age settlement, Ballinaspig More 5 (No. 215, Excavations 2002, 02E1033), in an area of relatively flat land with slightly higher ground to the south. The nearest water source (Twopot River) was over 400m east of the site.

An area measuring 14m east–west by 11m was cleaned back by hand to establish the nature and extent of any deposits present. Removal of the burnt-mound spread (maximum dimensions: 9.72m east–west by 7.08m and 0.28m deep) revealed a series of stake-holes to the south and east of the site, a sub-oval trough pit to the north-west of it and a metalled surface overlying part of this pit. The stake-holes consisted of a linear alignment running north-east/south-west along the periphery of the site. This alignment of stake-holes may have acted as screening, and there was a further cluster of stake-holes to the north-west of it; however, these latter features did not form any discernible pattern.

The pit of the trough measured 1.78m east–west by 0.77m and was 0.7m deep. The base of this feature was cut into a natural gravel layer, suggesting that it would not have contained water naturally. Therefore some kind of lining would have been necessary to make it functional as a water container. Above the base a flat, evenly spread layer of pinkish sand was present, which may have acted as a platform for such a waterproof lining.

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