County: Laois Site name: SPRINGFIELD (3)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/082
Author: Ed Danaher, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Burnt pit and Burnt mound
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 634522m, N 685040m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.915090, -7.486708
An assessment was carried out in advance of the proposed M7 Portlaoise–Castletown/M8 Portlaoise–Cullahill motorway scheme between February and June 2005. The work was carried out in March 2005 on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. An archaeological site designated Springfield 3 was identified in Testing Area 1 by Anne-Marie Lennon and consisted of a burnt spread of fire-cracked stone and charcoal (see No.918, Excavations 2005).
Excavation of this site revealed six pits filled with burnt-mound material; these ranged from circular to subrectangular in shape and averaged 1.2m in length and 0.2m deep. It is likely that they represent the remains of a ploughed-out fulacht fiadh with any associated spread having long since been removed; some of the larger pits possibly acted as troughs. With the exception of two spreads of burnt-mound material captured within natural hollows, no other features were found in association with this site.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
