County: Mayo Site name: CARROWNTRIELA
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0802
Author: Richard Gillespie
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 524441m, N 815504m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.083094, -9.154757
This fulacht fiadh was located during monitoring of topsoil removal in advance of construction of Stage 1 of the N26 Ballina-Bohola road, carried out under licence 03E0271 (No. 1298, Excavations 2003). The site was at the base of a peaty hollow, which was surrounded on three sides by low drumlins. It consisted of a mound of heat-fractured stone and charcoal measuring 12.25m by 15.8m by 0.3m thick. This overlay two pre-mound deposits, a construction layer and a portion of the original sod. Beneath this, several features were cut into the natural boulder clay. These consisted of a fire-pit, a possible well and two troughs. Clustered between the troughs were a group of 98 stake-holes. One of the troughs was cut to a depth of 0.85m to access the water table, but it showed very little evidence of use. The later trough, surrounded by much more intense stake-hole activity, was shallower (0.45m) and had intensive evidence of use. The possible well was located right beside this trough.
Analysis of the stake-hole patterns, in conjunction with wood identification, has revealed a number of likely temporary circular structures and windbreaks associated with the troughs.
Westport Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
