County: Tipperary Site name: KILFEAKLE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: TI059–127 Licence number: 01E0171 ext.
Author: Frank Coyne, Aegis Archaeology Ltd.
Site type: Settlement deserted - medieval
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 595707m, N 637312m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.487211, -8.063204
This test-trenching was conducted in order to determine the extent and nature of archaeological features in the area of a proposed development. The site lies within the zone of archaeological potential for a deserted settlement. The site is currently a large sloping field in pasture, which drops away sharply to the west. It is bounded to the east by a tennis court and along a portion of its southern boundary by the N74, the Tipperary to Cashel road.
A total of seventeen trenches were inserted on the site. A total of 1646 linear metres of trenches were excavated, all measuring 1.5m wide, amounting to a total of 2469m2.
Testing showed that substantial archaeological features occur in the eastern side of the proposed area of development. These were delimited by a low wide bank running from the north-east side of the site. This continued towards the south-west towards the centre of the site, where it appeared to fade out. A topographical survey carried out on the site showed a slight ridge here, but testing did not identify any flanking ditches on this side. Almost all the archaeological features were located to the east of this bank and consisted of slot-trenches, ditches, pits and post-holes.
No structures were positively identified, although the presence of animal bone, as well as the fragments of pottery of possible medieval date, would suggest that this is indeed part of the medieval settlement of Kilfeakle, probably centred on the nearby motte. The archaeological features appeared to fade out towards the south of the site, and this may be due to the high bedrock and gravels in this area. Perhaps this was not a suitable area for occupation, or it may be that, because the bedrock and gravel are very high in this area, little trace of occupation evidence survived due to erosion and/or truncation.
The area to the west of the bank was almost completely devoid of archaeological features, apart from three isolated pits.
32 Nicholas Street, King’s Island, Limerick
