County: Laois Site name: DERRINSALLAGH/DOON
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/040
Author: Linda Clarke, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Cereal-drying kiln, stone-lined kiln, enclosure, medieval settlement site
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 624768m, N 686260m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.926590, -7.631637
An assessment was carried out in advance of the planned M7/M8 Portlaoise–Castletown/Portlaoise–
Cullahill motorway scheme (Contract 2). The assessment of Contract 2, Testing Area 13, involved the mechanical excavation of 309 test-trenches. These had a combined length of 11,286m, resulting in a total excavated area of 22,572m2, or c. 10% of the total area (218,155m2). The testing area is situated in the townlands of Derrinsallagh and Doon, at Chainage 1950–3500. Testing Area 13 consisted of 20 separate fields.
Five archaeological sites were identified in Testing Area 13. These have been designated Derrinsallagh 1–5. Derrinsallagh 1 consisted of the ploughed-out remains of a possible cereal-drying kiln. Derrinsallagh 2 consisted of the remains of a stone-lined keyhole-shaped kiln. Derrinsallagh 3 consisted of the remains of a circular enclosure. The EIS noted a circular field boundary here (ID 19). It extends beneath the existing R435. When the line of this enclosure is projected it appears to extend into Field 510 (Plot 123), which is located immediately east of the R435. This enclosure has an approximate diameter of 50m. Associated external stone features and kiln features were also identified. Derrinsallagh 4 consisted of a series of pits, six smelting pits, one spread and ten shallow depressions. These features appeared to be confined to the top of a ridge within the field. Derrinsallagh 5 consisted of a linear feature that measured 6.8m by 0.8m and a small bowl furnace.
