County: Antrim Site name: Knocknacarry
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: AE/05/29
Author: Tony Kensall and Martin Keery, Gahan & Long Ltd, 7–9 Castlereagh Street, Belfast, BT5 4NE.
Site type: Fulacht fiadh
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 724125m, N 932171m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 55.121358, -6.054010
It was proposed to construct a residential development on lands at Knocknacarry, Cushendun, Co. Antrim. Monitoring of topsoil removal was conducted on 14–15 April 2005, revealing the remains of a fulacht fiadh. Two troughs were identified adjacent to each other and both were cut directly into subsoil. The first measured 2.5m north–south by 3.5m and had a maximum depth of 0.5m. This trough was cut by a possible drainage channel to the west. The second trough measured 2m north–south by 2.5m and had a maximum depth of 0.3m.
A number of spreads of burnt-mound material were identified to the immediate north of the troughs. These spreads were contained within shallow natural depressions and consisted of relatively loose black sandy clay with frequent inclusions of heat-fractured stone. They ranged in depth from 0.05 to 0.1m and directly overlay subsoil.
Editor’s note: Although this licence was issued during 2005, the report on the work was not received in time for inclusion in the bulletin of that year.
