County: Kilkenny Site name: ABBEYLANDS
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 46:8–11 Licence number: 03E0681
Author: Melanie McQuade, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Burnt spread, Habitation site, Enclosure and Field boundary
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 662165m, N 613437m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.269110, -7.089190
Testing was carried out on the site of a proposed housing development c. 1km to the north-east of Waterford city. Five fulachta fiadh are listed within the proposed development area, which covers an area of 25.5ha. Field-walking and a geophysical survey (03R042) carried out on this site indicated the presence of other potential archaeological remains. A total of 34 test-trenches were excavated from 15 to 22 May 2003. Trenches were opened in the locations of the fulachta fiadh recorded on this site, and of two potential fulachta fiadh and other potential features identified in the geophysical survey.
The stratigraphy of the site comprised c. 0.3m of ploughsoil, which in places overlay a light-brown sandy clay and in other areas was directly overlying natural subsoil. Eight burnt spreads were uncovered in the trenches. At least three of these are listed (SMR 46:9(01, 02) and 46:11). The five other sites uncovered were located as a result of field-walking and geophysical survey. Testing established that at least one of these was an SMR site (46:8), the location of which had been inaccurately recorded. Another of the burnt spreads uncovered may be SMR 46:10, the coordinates of which were also inaccurately recorded. A number of possible pits and post-holes were uncovered in the vicinity of the burnt spreads and a series of pits containing burnt material, but not related to a burnt spread, were uncovered in the south-east of the site. The date of these features was not established, but they may be prehistoric.
A large ditch-like feature was uncovered in the south-east of the site. There was no dating evidence for this feature. However, it does not appear to align with a curving field line marked on the 1839 and 1950 OS maps and may be part of an earlier boundary. Several pits and areas of burning were uncovered in the area enclosed by this boundary.
A series of field boundaries was uncovered in the south-east of the site. No dating evidence was uncovered for these, but cartographic evidence indicates that they were put in place sometime after 1839 and removed sometime after 1950. Several plough furrows were also identified, some if not all of which date from the post-medieval period.
2 Killiney View, Albert Road Lower, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
