County: Laois Site name: DERRINSALLAGH 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/67
Author: Anne-Marie Lennon, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Industrial pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 644825m, N 693938m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.994295, -7.332301
A large oval-shaped pit was identified in testing at this location on the M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme, Contract 1, Testing Area 13. An area 10m by 10m was topsoil-stripped around this feature, uncovering additional pits and post-holes. In total, four pits and two post-holes were identified. Three of the pits were large and oval in outline, two of which were earth cut and measured 2.8m east–west by 1.28m wide by 0.27 deep and 2.15m north-west/south-east by 1.07m wide by 0.22m deep. The third pit, the largest of the three, had a stone lining that showed evidence of heat fracture. It measured 3.8m east–west by 2.4m by 0.25m deep. The fourth pit was circular in plan and very shallow. It measured 1.3m in diameter by 0.08m deep and truncated one of the oval pits. All the pits had oxidised clay present around the edges, indicating exposure to heat, and iron slag was found within their charcoal-rich fills. The two post-holes were found in association with the stone-lined pit. Post-excavation analysis on this site is ongoing.
