County: Laois Site name: CORRAUN/DELLIGABAUN/KILCOTTON/PALMERSHILL
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/030
Author: Robert O’Hara, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Fulacht fiadh and hearth
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 633575m, N 684835m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.913308, -7.500806
The assessment of Contract 2, Testing Area 3 of the M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme, involved the mechanical excavation of 123 test-trenches. These had a combined length of 5767.62m, resulting in a total excavated area of 12,204.73m2. The testing area was situated in the townlands of Corraun, Delligabaun, Kilcotton and Palmershill. The scheme at this location will involve the construction of two bridges over the existing Kilcotton Cross to Kildellig road (L159665) and Palmershill road (L55970). Provision of bridges at these locations will involve realignments to the existing roads. The testing area included thirteen separate fields. Two archaeological sites were identified. These include a small charcoal manufacturing hearth at Delligabaun 1 and a disturbed fulacht fiadh at Corraun 1.
Corraun 1 consisted of three deposits of heat-fractured stone and charcoal within an area of c. 20m by 20m. It was located in Plot 156, Field 577, at Chainage 16250 (NGR 231282 184869).
Delligabaun 1 consisted of a charcoal-manufacturing hearth within an area of c. 20m by 20m. It was located in Plot 154, Field 574, at Chainage 15850 (NGR 231046 184997).
