County: Limerick Site name: BAUNREAGH (BGE 3/51/1–2)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E0741
Author: Brian Halpin, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Burnt spread and Pit
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 533247m, N 648354m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.582379, -8.984979
BGE 3/51/1
Topsoil-stripping on Bord Gáis Éireann’s Pipeline to the West uncovered a burnt spread in Baunreagh townland, Co. Limerick. The spread measured 5.2m north-west/south-east along the limit of excavation. It is estimated that it had a possible extent of 1.6m north–south. It was composed of a very thin deposit of charcoal-rich material and heat-shattered stones. The site was cleaned to reveal an irregular spread lying on a grey/white silty clay. Pipe-laying works disturbed large sections of the spread, with two large digger buckets of material being scooped out of the centre. Investigations at the site did not reveal any troughs or features associated with the burnt spread.
BGE 3/51/2
Approximately 30m north-west of the above site was BGE 3/51/2. Six shallow pits/depressions cut into the yellow/grey clay subsoil were excavated. These features were very irregular in shape, with no discernible cut. All contained heat-shattered stone and charcoal-rich material, indicating fulacht fiadh activity. All were fairly shallow, and the largest had a maximum length of 3.8m north–south. It is probable that they were contemporary with the adjacent fulacht fiadh activity. None shows any evidence of function, and they may be undulations in the natural, filled in with burnt material. The site is in very wet, boggy land.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
