County: Laois Site name: BUSHFIELD OR MAGHERNASKEAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/035
Author: Lydia Cagney, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Burnt spreads, curvilinear ditches and pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 628206m, N 685751m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.921847, -7.580547
Testing along one section of the planned M7/M8 Portlaoise–Castletown and Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme, Co. Laois, was undertaken on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. The work was carried out on 10–13 April 2005. Testing Area 8 was one of the areas designated to be investigated within Contract 2 (Coolfin–Derrinsallagh and Townparks) and is situated in the townland of Bushfield or Maghernaskeagh. The assessment of Contract 2, Testing Area 8, involved the mechanical excavation of 51 test-trenches across six fields. One archaeological site was identified in this area and this has been designated Lismore 1.
Two spreads of burnt-mound material and a series of pits/post-holes were distributed evenly throughout the southern half of the field, while a number of similar features occurring in a lower density were present to the north. Two curvilinear ditches were also uncovered during this investigation; these were subsequently excavated by Ken Wiggins and were interpreted as the enclosing element of a bivallate ringfort (see No. 884 below, A015/111).
