2004:1010 - KILFINNY, Limerick

Testing was required prior to quarry extension works at Kilfinny, Croom. A windmill and an enclosure were located within the 2.5ha greenfield area. There was also a limekiln, and earth and stone field boundaries.

Eight trenches were excavated to identify the nature and extent of the above sites. The depth of the trenches varied to between 0.05m and 0.8m, depending on the depth of the topsoil overburden. The limekiln was not located. The field banks were found to sit both on and within the topsoil. They averaged 2m in width and 0.4m in height. No artefacts were retrieved from them.

A segment of the 0.9m-wide southern foundation remains of a 6.8m (internal) diameter windmill were found. Much of the wall's width was identified by the absence of surface discoloration (i.e. lack of fire-blackened surface on the mortar surface). The site had been largely denuded of stone and only a surface scattering of smaller stones remained. Bone and charcoal samples were retrieved from reuse of the collapsed/denuded building as a windbreak for cooking activities. Mortar samples were also retrieved from the internal floor surface.

Three test-trenches targeted the location of the enclosure. Similar to the windmill, much of the stone used in its construction had been removed off-site. Only small stones remained, giving a 'ghost' impression of its original extent. It was built directly upon the ground surface of the time, in which there was no attempt to excavate external defensive ditch(es) or create bank foundations. This would have been in recognition of the bedrock being close to the surface. In all probability, its surviving aspect presents trace elements of a large structure in which the remaining stone does not appropriately reflect its original aspect but does emulate its original surface proportions. It was found that the enclosure's bank sat entirely both on and within the topsoil. It measured 4.5–8m in width and was composed of relatively sporadic quantities of small to medium limestone whose average dimensions were 0.3m by 0.15m by 01m. The bank's overall height/depth was 0.2m. It was found that other limestone naturally occurred, which did not comprise the bank structure, and disguised the composition of the bank itself. Animal bone and charcoal were retrieved from beneath the bank material. The enclosure measured 48m in diameter. A division of the enclosure's interior was identified. This took the form of two internal spurs composed of the same surviving bank material. The first adjoined the external bank's north-western quadrant and extended to the interior for 17.4m. It measured 3–4m in width and up to 0.3m in height. The second spur adjoined the external bank's south-south-eastern quadrant and extended for 10.1m. It measured 2.5m in width and up to 0.3m in height. These internal spurs formed an internal division, with an intervening gap of 6.3m on the eastern aspect which tapered to 4.2m on the western side. The enclosed space on the western side thus measured c. 300m2, while the eastern portion enclosed c. 450m2.

A possible entrance within the external bank, where there was much less stone than the remainder of the bank, was situated in the south-western quadrant of the enclosure. This possible entrance was also situated where the enclosure encountered the steepest portion of the hill. The entrance measured 7.8m in width externally and tapered to 3.7m on the interior. The gap between the internal spurs and the external entrance lined up perfectly with the steepest gradient of the hill that impacted upon this site. The sum of this inferred strong defensive considerations to the design of the enclosure and was therefore persuasively reminiscent of an Iron Age hillfort, where the immediate terrain was used to enhance defensive considerations of the potentially weakest portion of the site, namely the entrance.

Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3