County: Laois Site name: CLONRUD (4)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/052, E2167
Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd.
Site type: Furnace
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 637219m, N 688639m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.947256, -7.446191
This area, known as Contract 3, Testing Area 11, was tested in May 2006 as part of the programme of additional archaeological assessment of the proposed M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill motorway sceme. The work was carried out on behalf of Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. The initial assessment was carried out in May 2005 by Ken Wiggins (Excavations 2005, No. 889).
This additional assessment involved the mechanical excavation of nine trenches with a combined length of 311.399m, resulting in an excavated area of 622.798m2. An archaeological site designated Clonrud 4 was uncovered and consisted of two bowl furnaces and associated pit. The bowl furnaces were roughly circular with diameters of 0.42m and 0.49m and depths of 0.15m and 0.2m respectively. They contained large quantities of charcoal and vitrified clay. The pit was irregular in shape, measuring 0.71m by 0.26m with a depth of 0.41m. It contained large quantities of slag, presumably deposited here from the furnaces.
Samples and finds from this site are currently undergoing analysis.
Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
