County: Mayo Site name: LISNOLAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 04E1084
Author: Bernard Guinan
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 522561m, N 785380m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.812180, -9.175846
A fulacht fiadh was discovered in Lisnolan townland on the side of the N60 Castlebar to Balla road in Co. Mayo during monitoring of topsoil removal on the Lough Mask regional water supply scheme, Stage 1, Contract 6, extension from Ballyhean to Balla (No. 1152, Excavations 2004, 03E1208). No surface evidence to indicate the presence of a site was visible prior to commencement of development works in the area. The site was excavated during autumn 2004.
The site consisted of an irregular spread of compact, heat-fractured limestone within a rich charcoal/peat matrix. It measured 12.75m northwest/south-east by 6.25m and survived to a depth of 0.52m. The low mound was excavated up to the edge of the N60, which bounded the site to the north. A proportion of the northern portion of the lower levels of the site may still survive under this thoroughfare. In addition to the damage caused by the N60, a roadside Marian grotto was built in the 1950s over part of the north-western portion of the burnt mound.
Stratigraphically, the heat-shattered limestone mound was underlain by a layer of peat, which in turn rested on natural boulder clay. A circular boiling pit was found cut into the boulder clay. It measured 1.6m (east-west) by 1.4m and 0.5m deep. Some fragmentary burnt bone was recovered from the fill of the boiling pit. The pit was deliberately placed over a natural spring, which was constantly filling the feature with water during excavation.
Finds consisted of a small chert scraper, two pieces of chert debitage, some modern ceramic fragments and two clay-pipe stems.
Coosan, Athlone, Co. Westmeath
