County: Meath Site name: CARRANSTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1306
Author: Goorik Dehaene, for Arch-Tech Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 705428m, N 771319m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.680952, -6.404099
Testing was undertaken at the site of a proposed extension to Platin Quarry in Carranstown, Co. Meath. A cultural heritage report regarding the proposed extension identified a probable fulacht fiadh, which was assessed by this test excavation. The test-trench was oriented north-east/south-west and measured 15.8m by 1.5m, with an average depth of 0.4m.
Two features of interest were uncovered, both cutting the natural, yellow, mineral clay. One was a narrow linear feature, 0.17m deep, 0.32m wide and oriented north-east/south-west, containing burnt spread material. A second, larger linear feature oriented north-west/south-east was identified to the west of the first. It was 1.5m wide, with a maximum depth of 0.95m. The cut of this ditch feature was U-shaped.
Burnt spread material characteristic of fulachta fiadh was identified in the trench, but no surviving mound feature was present. It is almost certain that archaeological features as yet unidentified are situated in the vicinity of this test-trench.
The area was excavated in spring 2003 (licence 02E1306 ext.) and will be reported on in the bulletin for 2003.
70 The Square, Riverbank, Drogheda, Co. Louth
