County: Tipperary Site name: Site AR31, Borris, Twomileborris
Sites and Monuments Record No.: TI042–052(01, 02) Licence number: E002374
Author: Mick Ó Droma, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd, Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Prehistoric pits, round house, medieval enclosure, ditches, corn-drying kiln
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 619247m, N 657768m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.670742, -7.715422
An excavation commenced in September and continued into 2007 in advance of the M8/N8 Cullahill to Cashel road improvement scheme, the Twomileborris to Turnpike link road. Prior assessment and centreline test-trenching was carried out in 2005 (Excavations 2005, No. 1388, A027/023). The site is located on gently undulating ground adjacent to the Black River, in Twomileborris village, immediately south-west of a deserted medieval settlement and adjacent to a tower-house and ruined church and graveyard. Excavation revealed multi-period settlement, including a number of prehistoric pits, circular houses, medieval ditches and a kiln. The majority of the features excavated were medieval in date. A subrectangular ditch of c. 13th-century date has also been partially excavated. A circular stone corn-drying kiln was also excavated in the north-east angle of the enclosure ditch. Late medieval activity is thought to be related to the medieval borough. The area is also rich in prehistoric activity, with a flat cremation cemetery located 100m to the north and several post-holes and pits 400m west of the site (see Nos 1932–3 below, E2375, E2376).
