2006:1808 - BALLYDREHID, Tipperary

Site 185.5 was excavated in advance of the N8 road improvement between Cashel, Co. Tipperary, and Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. It was situated on a gentle south-east-facing slope on the foothills of the Galtee Mountains. The site was 200m north-east of Sites 185.1–185.4 (see No. 1826, Excavations 2006, E2298) and a small tributary of the River Suir flows in the valley between this site and Site 189.1 (see No. 1824, Excavations 2006, E2266), which lay 420m to the west. The area of investigation measured 75m by 55m. The foundations of two subcircular structures and two more possible structures were identified on the site.

Structure 1 was located on the south of the site. It was subrectangular in plan and measured 7m by 6m internally. The northern, eastern and southern walls were defined by deep slot-trench foundations with stone footings. These supported walls of plank construction. The entrance would have been at the north-west or south-west of the structure, since there were no foundations there. Internal posts supported the roof and there was no evidence for a floor surface or hearth, but there were three charcoal-filled pits in the north-west end of the structure. A room at the eastern end was defined by post-holes. There appears to have been a small compartment in the northern end. A large pit at the western edge may have been used by the occupants. There was evidence for structural repairs to the south-eastern corner. A Middle Bronze Age date (1435–1271 cal BC) was obtained for this structure.

Structure 2 was located on the south-western part of the site, 4.65m south-west of Structure 1. It had a subcircular ground plan with an internal diameter of 6m. There was a porch feature at the south-east of the structure and there appears to have been an entrance at this point. Slot-trench foundations with stone packing indicate that the structure was built of planks and posts. It probably had a roof of thatch or timber, which would have been supported on the walls and by several internal posts. An internal wall divided the structure into two rooms, each of which had a hearth. The building also dated to the Middle Bronze Age (1492–1304 cal BC). It had been partially burnt at one stage, as evidenced by scorched earth within the northern and southern slot-trenches and some repair or rebuilding work that had been carried out.

There were several isolated pits scattered on the southern end of the site, in the area surrounding Structures 1 and 2. These may have resulted from related settlement activity.

A cluster of pits and post-holes 2m to the north-east of Structure 1 probably represents the remains of another structure (Structure 3). This was subrectangular in plan and had internal dimensions of 10m by c. 5.5m. The most likely entrance point to this structure was at the north, although two other possible access points were indicated by gaps in the southern wall. An internal division was suggested by a north–south row of post-holes in the centre of the structure. This post row created an 8m-wide room in the east of the building and a room up to 6m wide in the west. There was no evidence for a hearth or any occupation layers within this structure.

An area of domestic activity 1.4m to the north-west of Structure 3 was defined by a large cooking pit and several post- and stake-holes. The cooking pit was subcircular in plan, measuring 3.1m by 2.2m and was up to 1.1m deep. It had been recut at some stage and may have been reused as a refuse pit.

A series of pits and stake-holes to the north of this pit were probably the remains of a structure of some sort. Three rows of posts and stakes were evident, but the overall layout of these features did not form a coherent ground plan. One of the stake-holes provided an Iron Age date (cal AD 240–392) for the structure.

Another possible structure may have stood on the north-west end of the site, 17m north-west of Structure 3, where there was a hearth, a pit, two post-holes and two stake-holes. These features were at the edge of the excavation area and may be part of a structure or an area of settlement activity that extended beyond the northern CPO line.

Finds from this site include a broken copper alloy artefact, pottery sherds and a stone spindle whorl. At the time of writing specialist analysis of finds and environmental material is ongoing.

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