County: Tipperary Site name: GEORGE'S LAND (Site 22)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 03E0503
Author: Liam McKinstry, for Judith Carroll Network Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 609507m, N 641156m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.521697, -7.859907
Phase 2 excavation was carried out at Site 22 on behalf of South Tipperary County Council in advance of construction of the N8 Cashel Bypass and N74 Link Road. The scheme involves a 6km bypass route of the town and a 2km link road of the N74.
Pre-construction testing by Anne Marie Lennon in 2002 (Excavations 2002, No. 1704, 02E0286) identified fulachta fiadh spreads in the townland of George's Land. Excavation of this area took place as part of the Phase 2 investigations in July 2003 to fully resolve the site.
Topsoil-stripping identified the remains of a ploughed-out burnt spread, three pits, a further burnt spread and a trough, all of which are associated with fulachta fiadh. Due to the alteration of the road design after the commencement of excavation, the site was only partially excavated. The three circular pits were fully excavated, while the two burnt spreads and associated trough were sectioned and will be preserved in situ.
The three ovoid-shaped pits containing a fill of fulacht-like material were c. 1.5m in diameter. They may have been waste or midden pits associated with the burnt spreads F22002 and F22005 located 45m to the west. There is a strong possibility that they are all contemporary.
F22002 was a possible fulacht fiadh. It was located c. 8m south of the townland boundary between George's Land and Boscabell. This boundary consisted of a stream and a bank either side and it no doubt served as the water source for the fulachta. The feature was detected as a large burnt-stone spread in Phase 1 testing. It consisted of two layers. The entire spread measured 15m in length, 10m in width and c. 0.32m in depth. It was roughly kidney-shaped. No trough or hearth was located.
Located 15m west of F22002 lay burnt spread F22005, which continued outside of the road-take. It comprised five layers: yellow grey silt, mid-grey sandy silt, redeposited soil, grey clayey silt and a dark-grey silt lens. These were overlying the natural subsoil and were either the results of natural silting or were more likely to be redeposited and associated with the presence of the trough.
The trough was a north-south-orientated rectangular cut located 4m north of burnt spread F22005. It was 1.6m long and 1.2m wide. It had a depth of 0.25m and two stake-holes.
9 Ballantyne Place, Steamboat Quay, Limerick
