County: Kerry Site name: LIXNAW: Clogher
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0356
Author: Frank Coyne, Aegis Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Enclosure, Burial ground, Metalworking site and Kiln
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 489088m, N 629927m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.409612, -9.630220
Numerous features were identified during monitoring and testing of a Kerry County Council housing development at Clogher by Laurence Dunne of Eachtra Archaeological Projects (Excavations 2003, No. 829, 03E1485). The site was subsequently excavated by Aegis Archaeology Ltd in March and April 2004.
The site was enclosed by an outer ditch, which was c. 3–4m wide, 1m deep, and enclosed an area 52.5m north-south by 52m. The ditch ran into the western edge of the excavation and therefore the full east-west extent is not known, although it is likely to be c. 70m. It is assumed that the entrance lay outside of the excavated area to the west, as no entrance was visible on the site. A sequence of fills was evident throughout the length of the ditch. This large ditch cut an earlier, smaller, circular ditch which measured 1.4m in width, 0.65m in depth, enclosing an area 21m east-west by 10m.
Twenty graves containing the remains of at least 21 individuals were identified just to the south of the centre of the site. A further ten possible grave-cuts were excavated, but no bone survived in the fills. All graves were contained within the area of the larger ditch. The skeletal remains were in a very poor state of preservation. The graves were primarily orientated west-east, with one exception. In addition, a large number of linear features crossed the site. These appear to have been associated with later agricultural activity, particularly relating to the use of the site as a domestic garden. A number of pits, post-holes and other isolated features were scattered across the site. The majority of these were sterile deposits of unknown function and no structures could be identified from the post-holes. Two other features were identified to the north-east of the enclosed site. These were a possible metalworking pit and a keyhole-shaped kiln, although no diagnostic finds were recovered. However, initial analysis suggests that this site may date from the late Iron Age/early medieval transition period.
16 Avondale Court, Corbally, Limerick
