2007:205 - Ballintubbrid East, Cork

Testing of a proposed development site at Ballintubbrid East, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork, was undertaken as part of an assessment. The proposed development consisted of the construction of a single dwelling house and associated services on a greenfield site. The site was thought to encroach slightly on the northern portion of a levelled ringfort (CO076–006) and testing was undertaken in this area to determine if any subsurface remains of the monument were located within the site boundary. Four test-trenches were excavated within the development area.
No archaeological finds or features were uncovered in Trenches 1–3. After the removal of topsoil and subsoil in Trench 4 the possible remains of the fosse of the levelled ringfort were uncovered. It appeared as a band of mid-brown sandy silt material, which differed from the compact pink/orange stony natural uncovered elsewhere in the trench. The possible fosse measured c. 3.8m in width (north–south) and was exposed for a length of 1m across the width of the trench. The discovery of the fosse in this location accords well with the presumed location of the levelled ringfort and encroaches slightly into the proposed development site. The fosse was located to the south of the proposed driveway and no groundworks were proposed for this area, therefore the fosse was preserved in situ. Monitoring of all groundwork was recommended.