County: Limerick Site name: BALLYVELOGE (BGE 4/1/1)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1697
Author: Ken Wiggins, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 551967m, N 651674m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.614194, -8.709261
A large pit-like feature was exposed during topsoil-stripping along the Bord Gáis Éireann Barnakyle to Coonagh West gas pipeline (No. 1128, Excavations 2002, 02E1649). It was fully excavated from 14 to 18 November 2002. The site lay on low-level pastureland. The overall dimensions were c. 6m (north–south) by c. 3m.
A spread of charcoal-rich clay and burnt stone material was identified, measuring 3.6m (north– south) by 1.9m with a maximum thickness of 0.1m. The spread occupied a slight depression in the surface of the subsoil. A substantial pit/trough was sealed beneath the burnt spread. There were two other pits and a field drain of later date on the site. The trough was 1.6m in diameter and 0.35m deep. The fill was a mixture of burnt stone and charcoal-rich clay. Two later pits, F1 and F3, were cut into the centre of the burnt spread. F1 was 0.83m long, 0.48m wide and 0.16m deep. F3 was 1m long, 0.68m wide and 0.38m deep. Both were filled with grey/brown, topsoil-type clay. A drain, up to 0.2m wide, was aligned north-east/south-west through the centre of the burnt spread. It was filled with grey sediment and stones.
No artefacts were discovered on the site, which appears from the burnt stone material to form the remains of a heavily ploughed-out fulacht fiadh.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
