County: Kilkenny Site name: BARNASALLAGH/DERRYVORRIGAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/037
Author: Aidan O’Connell, for Archaeological Services Consultancy Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Hearth and pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 626598m, N 686181m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.925793, -7.604418
The archaeological assessment of Contract 2, Testing Area 10 of the M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme, involved the mechanical excavation of 170 test-trenches. These had a combined length of 5763.85 linear metres, resulting in a total excavated area of 12,392.28m2, or c. 13.88% of the total area (89,259m2). The testing area is situated in the townlands of Derryvorrigan and Barnasallagh, between Chainage 11240 and 12500. Testing Area 10 consisted of eight separate fields: Fields 523–7 in Plot 137 and Fields 528, 531 and 532 in Plot 139. Four areas of archaeological potential were recorded.
Derryvorrigan 2 consists of three pits in Field 523 and one pit and a linear ditch in Field 524. Barnasallagh 1 consists of a charcoal-filled pit in Field 528, Barnasallagh 2 consists of a hearth in Field 528 and Barnasallagh 3 consists of a charcoal production pit in Field 531.
