2002:0946 - KILRATHMURRAY/KILRAINY, Kildare

Monitoring took place from 8 to 23 April 2002 before a proposed quarry development. The area consisted of the northern half of Ballykane Hill, part of a field to the north of the hill in the townland of Kilrathmurray and an access road in the adjoining townland of Kilrainy. The soil-stripping was carried out with three mechanical excavators and revealed a consistent stratigraphy with variations in depth reflecting the undulating topography. The topsoil-stripping of the hill included the slopes to the north, north-west and north-east and the crest of the hill below the summit to the south, where a ring-barrow is situated, c. 30m south of the extent of this phase of topsoil-stripping. Small quarry faces in the bedrock and hollows marking sand quarrying on the crest and sides of the hill were found, likely to be of relatively modern date.

Three potential archaeological features were identified in the centre of the field near a low hillock, the highest point of a low gravel ridge, in an area measuring 40m in diameter. The three features, which were associated with burning, were initially interpreted as corn-drying kilns of possible early medieval date and were subsequently excavated (see No. 939, Excavations 2002, 02E0450). Two other anomalies were revealed during the topsoil-stripping. F1 was a linear feature identified as an older field boundary running parallel to an existing field boundary, and F3 was revealed to be the remains of burnt tree roots. No other material of archaeological significance was uncovered.

32 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2