County: Laois Site name: BALLYHINODE/CUFFSBOROUGH/CURRAGH/LEAP/TINTORE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/15
Author: Eamonn Cotter, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Fulacht fia, Enclosure and Metalworking site
Period/Dating: Multi-period
ITM: E 634423m, N 682881m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.895697, -7.488409
An assessment was carried out in advance of the proposed M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–
Cullahill motorway scheme between February and June 2005. The work was carried out in April 2005 on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. The section described in this report is Testing Area 3 of Contract 1. Contract 1 of the project incorporated the Portlaoise–Culahill section of the scheme, consisting of c. 14km of motorway, which extends from Aghaboe to south of Cullahill through the townlands from Gortnaclea to Oldtown. Testing Area 3 traversed the townlands of Cuffsborough, Leap, Ballyhinode, Curragh and Tintore, from Chainage 20800 to Chainage 18250 of the proposed scheme. The assessment methodology generally consisted of mechanically excavating a 2.15m-wide test-trench along the centre-line, with perpendicular offset trenches extending to the edge of the land-take. Six archaeological sites were identified in the area.
Tintore 1 was located in Field 137, at Chainage 18680. It comprised two spreads of burnt stone and five pits filled with similar material, over an area of c. 10m by 10m. The pits measured 0.5–1.5m in diameter, with a maximum depth of 1.5m. This feature is interpreted as a fulacht fiadh.
Tintore 2 was located in Field 133, at Chainage18600. It comprised a subcircular enclosure measuring 32m north–south by at least 25m. The enclosure ditch was 2.3m wide on average and had a maximum depth of 0.84m. A cluster of post-holes was noted in the interior of the enclosure. It is interpreted as a settlement site of prehistoric or perhaps medieval date. In addition, a small pit and a post-hole were noted c. 30m to the north of the enclosure and may be related to it.
Curragh 1 was located in Fields 140 and 141 and includes three distinct areas of archaeological activity, each interpreted as a fulacht fiadh. The first area, designated Curragh 1, Area A, was located in Field 140, at Chainage 19500. It comprised a spread of burnt stone measuring c. 20m by c. 20m, with a maximum depth of 0.5m. The second area, designated Curragh 1, Area B, was located in Field 140, at Chainage 19550. It comprised a small spread of burnt stone measuring c. 5m by c. 5m and c. 0.2m deep. The third area, designated Curragh 1, Area C, was located in field 141, at Chainage 19620. It comprised two adjacent spreads of burnt stone, one measuring 2.5m by 1.5m by 0.15m deep, the other measuring 1.2m by 0.8m by 0.1m deep. A nearby circular pit filled with similar material measured 0.3m diameter and was 0.3m deep.
Ballyhinode 2 was located in Field 143, at Chainage 19650. It comprised a spread of black silty clay and burnt stone measuring 2.15m by 1.8m by 0.32m deep, a pit measuring 1.1m by 0.6m by 0.1m deep filled with similar material, and a second pit, measuring 0.5m in diameter by 0.06m deep. The site is interpreted as a fulacht fiadh.
Ballyhinode 1 was located in Field 144, at Chainage 20000. It comprised a spread of burnt stone measuring 16m long and 1.7–6.5m wide, with a maximum depth of 0.3m. It is interpreted as a fulacht fiadh.
Cuffsborough 5 was located in Field 148, at Chainage 20800 (mainline) and 530 (local road realignment). It comprised three separate features: a deposit of metal slag measuring 7m by 3.5m by 0.5m deep, a trench measuring 3.5m long by 0.36m wide by 0.3m deep, and a nearby pit 0.5m in diameter and 0.08m deep. The interpretation of these features is difficult, but the presence of slag indicates industrial activity in the area.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
