2006:1397 - Thomastown, Louth

NMI Burial Excavation Records

County: Louth Site name: Thomastown

Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: 06E0553

Author: James McKee, Archaeological Development Services Ltd, Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3.

Site type: Fulacht fiadh

Period/Dating:

ITM: E 700951m, N 806787m

Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.000449, -6.460185

The plough-truncated remains of a fulacht fiadh were revealed during monitoring of topsoil-stripping (see Ad19 below, 06E0142), along the route of a gas pipeline from the existing BGE facilities in Gormanstown, Co. Meath to an interconnecting point with the North-West pipeline to the north of Belfast at Ballyalbanagh, Co. Antrim. The site was situated in an area of low-lying improved pasture, within marshy ground and c. 25m south of a small east–west flowing burn. The remains consisted of an irregular spread of black, heavily charcoal-flecked soil and heat-shattered stone extending from the western side of the 25m-wide route corridor. The spread measured c. 12m north–south by c. 7m and up to 0.1m deep. A flint scraper was recovered but no features were revealed.