County: Mayo Site name: BALLYGLASS WEST
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 63:53 Licence number: 04E1507
Author: Richard Gillespie, Westport Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
Site type: Fulacht fiadh and kiln
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 547377m, N 800209m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.948530, -8.801631
A fulacht fiadh discovered during work by Damian Finn on the N5 Charlestown bypass (A020/001) consisted of a burnt mound with a small number of lithic artefacts. An adjacent terrace was tested and a well-preserved stone-lined kiln, possibly for drying corn, was identified and fully excavated.
The fulacht fiadh was visible above ground as a dry, grass-covered mound surrounded by rushes. It was roughly square in plan with maximum dimensions of 9m north-south by 8.2m by 0.52m high. The mound was overlain by sterile mound-like material, which had no charcoal present in its matrix. The mound also had two distinct horizons of similar composition (i.e. heat-fractured sandstone in a charcoal-rich matrix). The upper horizon was quite loose and easily excavated, while the lower horizon had fused into a solid mass attached to the protruding rocks. This fusing appears to be a natural process and may be related to iron panning.
The most interesting aspect of this fulacht fiadh was the associated lithic finds. Eight possible worked stone artefacts were uncovered. They were mostly retouched chert flakes, with one barbed and tanged arrowhead made of siltstone, which was probably locally sourced.
The kiln was made up of two parts: a bowl and a flue. The bowl measured 1.75m in diameter at the top and 1.3m at the base and was 1m deep. The lining was built with regular courses of tightly packed rough cobbles and angular wedge-shaped stones, mostly limestone with occasional sandstones. It is likely that cereal, possibly corn, would have been dried in this bowl. Fresh cereal grains would have been placed on removable trays or hurdles and heat from a low fire would have been directed along the flue through the bowl, drying the grain in the process.
The flue was 2.8m long by 0.9m wide and had a depth of 0.4m. The side walls consisted of three courses of angular flat slabs capped with larger flags. The interior of the flue, especially the underside of the flags, was blackened by soot and the stones at the mouth of the flue were fire-cracked and reddened, indicating the position of the fire-spot. One additional feature associated with this kiln was a circular bowl-shaped pit. It was 1.9m in diameter by 0.52m deep and was located 5m to the west of the kiln. Its fill included a lens of dense charcoal. It is likely to be functionally related to the kiln. Small finds from the fills of the kiln suggest a relatively recent date.
