County: Carlow Site name: SWELLAN LOWER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CV020-071---- Licence number: 03E0567 ext.
Author: Christopher Read, North West Archaeological Services Ltd.
Site type: Kiln
Period/Dating: Post Medieval (AD 1600-AD 1750)
ITM: E 640632m, N 804661m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.989604, -7.380420
The proposed development, to consist of 72 houses, access roads and related services, is located a few miles west of Cavan town. It is near a well-preserved ringfort north-west of the site. The proposed development was stripped of topsoil and monitored under licence 03E0567 (No. 70, Excavations 2003). Revealed during the topsoil-stripping were the remains of a possible kiln in the north-west corner of the site. The kiln and the immediate area surrounding the visible archaeology were re-investigated, resulting in the full excavation of the kiln and a small, related feature, under an extension to the existing licence in October 2003.
The proposed development site is dominated by the slope of a small hill, upon the top of which sits the ringfort. A 30m buffer zone has been agreed with the Department and has been fenced by the developers. The kiln is located on the slope of this hill in the north-west corner of the site, 90m from the edge of the ringfort. The kiln is roughly comma-shaped and covers an area measuring 6m north–south by 6m. If the kiln was stretched out straight it would be in excess of 12m long. The majority of its length is dominated by the flue, with larger subcircular cuts at either end. The ‘bowl’ at the western end of the flue was roughly oval in shape, orientated east–west and measuring 1.6m long by 1.3m wide at its broadest. It was quite shallow, 0.22m deep at the centre, with gently sloping sides and an irregular base. The flue was 6.5m long. It extends east from the first bowl, where it is narrowest, 0.3m wide, for 2.5m before turning sharply to the north, where it joins with the other bowl. At its widest, the flue is 0.7m wide and it varies in depth between 0.3 and 0.6m. The more northerly portion of the flue has the remains of its stone lining intact, including some very large stones that may once have been part of the superstructure. The bowl at the northern end of the flue consisted of a shallow subcircular cut which partially encircled the end of the flue. This bowl had much steeper edges than the other, measuring 3.5m north–south by 2.3m. Its depth varied from 0.2 to 0.3m. The base and sides of the bowl and the northern end of the flue were very heavily fire-reddened, indicating the location of the firing associated with the working of the kiln. Two sherds of post-medieval pottery and some bottle glass were retrieved from the fill of the flue, indicating a likely post-medieval date for the feature.
Cloonfad Cottage, Cloonfad, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim
