County: Carlow Site name: BUSHERSTOWN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E002585
Author: Áine Richardson, Headland Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Burnt mound and Pit
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 677464m, N 674569m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.816526, -6.850808
The site was excavated as part of the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford scheme: Kilcullen to Powerstown. Testing was carried out under Ministerial Direction A021/027 on this site in 2005 (Excavations 2005, No. 77). This revealed evidence for possible Bronze Age activity in the area. Remains at this site comprised features associated with two fulachta fiadh and a circular pit of unknown function. Troughs were located in offset trenches c. 50m apart at both the north-east and north-west corners of the field. One fulacht fiadh spread comprised a deposit of dark-brown/black sandy clay with frequent charcoal and heat-shattered stone inclusions 3.1m in length (east–west) and 1.7m in width. Sample excavation of the feature revealed steeply sloping sides, implying the deposit comprised the fill of a substantial cut, possible originally the trough of a fulacht fiadh. A circular feature, 0.5m in diameter, was exposed c. 1.7m north of this trough. This was filled by material similar to that of the other trough and it possibly comprised a smaller trough or pit associated with the feature. Another fulacht fiadh trough was located in the north-east corner of the field. This was broadly circular in shape and 1.2m in diameter.
Approximately 1km to the north-north-east of the site are CW008–017 and CW007–032 (a graveyard and bullaun stone respectively); 1.5km to the north of site E2585, on the north side of the R726, is site E2586, in Johnstown (see No. 187, Excavations 2006), which consisted of numerous pits and potboilers and an associated burnt mound.
Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork
