County: Mayo Site name: Cloonfane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: - Licence number: A020/056, E3413
Author: Agnes Kerrigan, for Mayo County Council, Drummin, Westport, Co. Mayo.
Site type: Pit
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 552681m, N 800686m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.953327, -8.720915
Excavation was undertaken on this feature on 6–10 October 2005. The site was newly identified during centreline testing (A020/003) and was fully excavated in advance of the construction of the N5 Charlestown bypass. It was a shallow sub-oval pit located at an altitude of 109m OD at the base of a south-west/north-east ridge. The pit measured 2.66m north-west/south-east by 1.44m by 0.08m deep. The cut was most evident on the west side, with a sharp break of slope, a concave side and a gradual break of slope at the base. The pit had a single charcoal-rich, loose, friable, silty fill with occasional inclusions of small stones. The natural subsoil at the base of the pit was oxidised, suggesting in situ burning.
