County: Limerick Site name: CAHERANARDRISH (BGE 4/2/3)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1734
Author: Ken Wiggins, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 553029m, N 653233m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.628295, -8.693805
The site was exposed on 1 November 2002 during topsoil-stripping along the Bord Gáis Éireann Barnakyle to Coonagh West gas pipeline (No. 1128, Excavations 2002, 02E1649). The site was on the crest of a gently sloping hill, c. 70m north-west of the remains of an enclosure (SMR 13:5). It was excavated by hand on 20 and 21 November 2002. The overall dimensions were 5.8m (east–west) by 4.4m.
The site consisted of four large, bowl-like pits (F1, F2, F4 and F5) and one smaller feature (F3). A number of other potential features were not of archaeological significance. Pits F1–3 were grouped at the eastern end of the site; Pits F4 and F5 were close together further west, adjacent to the limit of excavation. F1 was 0.68m long, 0.64m wide and 0.26m deep; F2 was 0.84m long, 0.6m wide and 0.28m deep; and F3 was 0.45m long, 0.41m wide and 0.39m deep. The fills were grey or dark grey, silty clay, with no burnt stone fragments. F4 and F5 were more informative. F4 was 0.78m long, 0.64m wide and 0.25m deep. The fill was dark grey, charcoal-rich clay, containing a small percentage of burnt stone fragments and some pieces of burnt and unburnt bone. F5 was 0.74m in diameter and 0.32m deep. The fill was dark grey, silty clay with charcoal and gravel, containing a high proportion of burnt stone material and a small amount of unburnt bone.
The presence of burnt stone fragments in F4 and F5 indicates that the features probably relate to a fulacht fiadh, for which there was no other evidence within the limits of the Bord Gáis Éireann wayleave.
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