County: Laois Site name: KILCOTTON/BUSHFIELD OR MAGHERNASKEAGH
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/031
Author: Lydia Cagney, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Kilns, possible fulachta fiadh and possible structure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 630181m, N 685389m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.918487, -7.551218
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 between 14 March and 3 May 2005. Testing Area 4 was one of the areas designated to be investigated within Contract 2 (Coolfin–Derrinsallagh and Townparks) and is situated in the townland of Kilcotton. This testing area consisted of a single field. The assessment involved the mechanical excavation of 21 test-trenches; one site of archaeological potential, Kilcotton 2, was identified.
The remains present within this field appeared to be a continuation of those associated with Kilcotton 1 (Testing Area 5) and comprised five possible earth-cut kilns, a spread of burnt stones within a matrix of charcoal-enriched silty-clay, which may represent a fulacht fiadh, and a network of post-holes that may have represented the basal remains of a structure, although no discernible pattern was present at the time.
