County: Laois Site name: CANNONSWOOD (3)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/92, E2202
Author: John Lynch, for Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Burnt pit
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 633589m, N 676532m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.838683, -7.501455
An excavation was carried out in response to an assessment in advance of the proposed M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill motorway scheme between April and May 2006.The work was carried out on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority.
Cannonswood 3 was identified as the remains of a fulacht fiadh following the assessment of Testing Area 10. Contract 1 of the project incorporated the Portlaoise to Cullahill section of the scheme, consisting of c. 14km of motorway, which extends from Aghaboe to south of Cullahill through the townlands from Gortnaclea to Oldtown. Cannonswood 3 was located on the east-facing slope in a slight depression, with Cannonswood 2 to the north.
Topsoil-stripping on this site revealed three pits. The most prominent feature of the site was a round charcoal-rich pit (1.9m by 1m by 0.35m). It had a gradual break of slope at the top and sloping sides, which merged into the concave base. A round bowl-shaped pit (0.8m in diameter by 0.12m in depth) was fired in situ. It was filled by fairly dense brown charcoal-rich silty sand, with small stones and no finds. A round pit (0.7m by 0.68m by 0.17m) was filled by a very compact grey/brown silty charcoal-rich deposit.
The samples from this site have yet to be analysed.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
