County: Leitrim Site name: Attirory
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: LE031–039
Author: Dominic Delany, Dominic Delany & Associates, Unit 3, Howley Court, Oranmore, Co. Galway.
Site type: Fulachta fiadh
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 595829m, N 804618m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.990800, -8.063600
Monitoring of topsoil removal was carried out on a residential development site at Attirory, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, in December 2006. The site is located on the east bank of the River Shannon and the topography consists of dry high ground sloping down to the south and west, where it becomes wet and waterlogged. The topsoil averaged just 0.1m in thickness and overlay yellow/grey sandy clay subsoil.
Four burnt spreads were uncovered on low-lying ground in the southern part of the site. These were composed of typical fulacht fiadh material, burnt heat-shattered stones and loose black organic soil with moderate inclusions of charcoal. The largest spread measured 9m by 4m, while the smallest measured just 4m by 3m. Three of the spreads were located on the line of a proposed service road skirting the southern edge of the development. The fourth was located slightly further south in an area designated as open space. Preservation in situ was recommended.
Half a quernstone (0.38m by 0.18m by 0.075m) was found in the topsoil in the northern part of the site. Quernstones remained in use as a labour-intensive but effective cereal grinding technology up until the modern period. The presence of a D-shaped bullaun stone in the nearby church site presents further evidence of milling activity in the area.
