County: Kilkenny Site name: KILLASPY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E0770
Author: Caitríona Gleeson, Headland Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 661376m, N 615305m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.285989, -7.100408
Waterford City Council proposes to construct an 18km bypass around Waterford city, with associated link roads. The route forms part of the N25 and runs from Kilmeaden in Co. Waterford to Slieverue in Co. Kilkenny. Excavations at Site 41 in the townland of Killaspy, Co. Kilkenny, were undertaken as part of pre-construction investigations of the N25 Waterford bypass. The work followed the identification of several possible archaeological features by Dave Pollock during Contract 2 testing (Excavations 2002, No. 1030, 02E0196).
An area of 430m2 was stripped of topsoil and a shallow spread of heat-affected stone and ash exposed. The material was interpreted as the remains of a fulacht fiadh with maximum surviving dimensions of c. 15m north-south by c. 13m. Mound material was hand-excavated as a single context to a maximum depth of 0.4m.
Two relatively large negative features were identified beneath the mound material. These were found to contain fills rich in charcoal and heat-affected stone and were consequently interpreted as troughs associated with the fulacht fiadh. A number of stake-holes were recorded around the base and sides of one trough. These may have supported a lining during the trough's use.
Several other features were recorded beneath the fulacht fiadh. A number of stake-holes were recorded between the two troughs in an area deliberately raised using upcast from their excavation. A gully was excavated running downslope on an irregular south-west/north-east alignment. A channel from this gully would have drained into the southernmost of the two troughs and may have served as a feeder channel. A later boundary ditch cut through the eastern edge of the fulacht fiadh.
No artefacts were recovered from the mound or related features and the site is not dated. Environmental samples were taken from the features and mound material. It is thought that charcoal from these will be suitable for radiocarbon dating.
This work was undertaken under Contract 3 archaeological investigations. The project is funded by the Department of Transport under the National Development Plan 2000–2006. The total archaeological cost is administered by the National Roads Authority through Waterford City Council.
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