County: Cork Site name: BALLINAHINA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CO044-078 Licence number: 03E1186
Author: Annette Quinn, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 580418m, N 593937m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.096999, -8.285792
The N8 Rathcormac–Fermoy Bypass is approximately 17.5km in length and will extend from the northern end of the new N8 Glanmire–Watergrasshill Road in the townland of Meenane, passing to the west of Rathcormac and east of Fermoy and onto the existing N8 at Moorepark West. Testing was carried out in advance of construction along the route of the proposed road by Donald Murphy on behalf of Cork County Council in 2002 (Excavations 2002, No. 346, 02E0713–02E0720). During this phase of centre-line testing a burnt mound was identified at Ballinahina. The site was subsequently designated Ballinahina 1 and was excavated in September/October 2003.
A fulacht fiadh (burnt-mound spread), measuring 8m north–south by 12m, and associated features were exposed during topsoil-stripping. A total of 43 features were recorded, including spreads, drains, deposits and cut features. The cut features included two troughs, a possible third trough and a number of shallow pits which were filled with burnt-mound material. The site was extremely disturbed by both burrowing and tree root activity. No finds were recovered, although charcoal samples were recovered from the troughs, which will be used for dating.
This work was funded by the National Development Plan 2000–2006 and awarded by the National Roads Authority.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
