County: Clare Site name: Derrygarriff 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A044; E3711
Author: Joe Nunan, IAC Ltd, 120B Greenpark Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
Site type: Industrial pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 540319m, N 690976m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.966231, -8.888409
A possible industrial/metalworking area was discovered in undulating scrubland in Derrygarriff townland, in north County Clare. The site was situated on a west–east slope next to an area of peat bog.
The site consisted of four cut features. The largest, which measured 3.8m east–west by 0.7m by 0.42m deep, contained large amounts of charcoal and is believed to have been a charcoal clamp. Another feature, which measured 2.45m north-west/south-east by 0.68m by 0.48m deep, showed signs of intense in situ burning and contained large quantities of slag-like material. The other two pits both showed signs of in situ burning and contained charcoal. It is considered that the site may be evidence for the exploitation of iron from bog iron deposits.
