2002:0792 - DROMORE, Kerry

Testing was undertaken at Dromore, Farranfore, before the construction of a housing estate by the Housing Section of Kerry County Council, to assess the potential impact of the development on a fulacht fiadh and a curvilinear bank of archaeological potential. The fulacht fiadh was represented by a subcircular mound in boggy ground.

Two trenches were opened across the top of the fulacht fiadh to establish the extent of the mound. Trench 1 measured 15.5m north–south by 1m. Trench 2 measured 15m east–west by 1m. Topsoil was removed by hand and ranged in depth from 0.1m at the top of the mound to 0.23m at the base. The mound was made up of small, heat-shattered sandstones in a loose, gritty, black silt. The fulacht material extended for 12m north–south by 10m and was surveyed at a height of 1m. The mound was found to overlie the peat directly.

An arc of possible archaeological importance was noted on an aerial photograph of the area of the development site to the west of the fulacht fiadh. It consisted of a possible curvilinear ditch with a bank on the interior. The bank was c. 38m long, 10–11m wide and c. 1m high. There was a possible terminal on the north-eastern end, but the south-eastern end had been truncated by modern field drains. The possible ditch curved around the outside of the bank, but it was impossible to follow the line of the ditch beyond the bank as the land was badly disturbed and poorly drained. The possible ditch was waterlogged and ranged in width from 3.5m to 4m.

Four intersecting trenches were excavated in the area of the bank and ditch. No evidence was recorded to suggest that the bank was archaeological in nature. A single small pit was recorded on the eastern side of the bank.

3 Canal Place, Tralee, Co. Kerry