County: Laois Site name: DERRINSALLAGH 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/68
Author: Anne-Marie Lennon, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Cereal-drying kiln
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 624841m, N 686116m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.925293, -7.630562
A keyhole-shaped cereal-drying kiln was identified during testing at this location on the M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme, Contract 2, in Testing Area 13. An area 20m by 20m was topsoil-stripped, uncovering the full extent of the kiln and revealing one additional pit. The kiln was an elongated figure of eight in outline, was earth cut and measured 6.8m east–west. It consisted of a drying bowl, flue and fire bowl. The drying bowl had a stone lining two courses high and measured 1.9m wide by 0.5m deep. Connecting the drying bowl and the fire bowl was the flue. The flue was also stone lined and measured 2.2m long by 0.8m wide by 0.6m deep. The fire bowl measured 2.3m by 1.3m wide by 0.3m deep and was not stone lined. To the west of the kiln, a single pit was uncovered. It measured 1.33m by 0.47m wide by 0.26m deep. Post-excavation analysis on this site is ongoing.
