2007:210 - Ballynacarriga 2, Cork

Phase 2 excavation works were undertaken along the route of the N8 Fermoy–Mitchelstown bypass on behalf of Cork County Council. The proposed bypass involves the construction of c. 16km of dual carriageway extending from Gortore, north of Fermoy, to Carrigane, north-east of Mitchelstown. A programme of advance testing (Phase 1) had been carried out in October 2005 by Eamonn Cotter, the results of which appeared in Excavations 2005 (No. 244).
The site at Ballynacarriga 1 was perched on a cliff overlooking the River Funshion. The souterrain (CO027–109) had been uncovered during Phase 1 testing works (Cotter et al. 2006). Excavation revealed that the souterrrain was surrounded by an enclosing ditch. There was also at least one structure discovered within the enclosure, two groups of pits (possibly used for metalworking and as roasting pits) and a possible area of quarrying.
The enclosure
The enclosure was formed by a combination of a ditch and a natural cliff overlooking the River Funshion, with the ditch making up approximately three-quarters of the enclosure. The River Funshion runs north–south in a steep gully and provides a boundary to the site on the west. The ditch had a maximum external diameter of 57.3m, was 4.2m wide and c. 1.8m deep. There was evidence that limestone bedrock was quarried out to create the ditch in some parts of the enclosure. At the northern terminal antlers were found in the ditch fill in a stratigraphically secure context and a large animal skeleton was discovered in a large cut that truncated the ditch. Beneath this, possible light-bulb glass was recovered. Approximately 15m east of the northern terminal, part of the ditch was hewn from the limestone bedrock.
The southern terminal of the ditch halted at a rock outcrop and it is possible that the remaining section of the enclosure was completed with a stone wall that has since been removed. The large amount of scattered stone on site could conceivably have been a collapsed wall.
A deposit from a possible bank within the ditch was found at the eastern part of the site. There was no evidence of a palisade.
The souterrain
The souterrain was located in the north-western quadrant of the enclosure; it measured c. 14m by c. 3.4m by c. 2m deep. It was drystone built and the tunnel was capped with long, relatively thin, lintel stones that may have been quarried on site. The lower portion of the walls was made with squatter, squarer stones, giving a stable construction.
In plan the souterrain consisted of an entrance at the south-east, a short doglegged passage that ran c. 4.9m south-east to north-west and led to a rectangular expanded terminal-like chamber which in turn led to a circular chamber through a low, narrow creep, possibly to restrict unwanted access. The main cut of the souterrain was east–west-aligned and was c. 7.1m long. The base of the souterrain sloped from entrance to circular chamber, except at the dogleg turn, where there were several steps. A series of post-/stake-holes around the entrance may be the remains of a wooden structure covering the entrance.
The souterrain had three phases of construction. The entranceway, where the walls were made of cobble-sized stones, was roughly erected and probably had no structural integrity. Stonework in the rectangular chamber was of superior quality. The circular chamber was c. 4.3m in diameter and of the highest quality drystone construction, with a corbelled roof and a ventilation shaft to provide fresh air into the interior. The rectangular chamber contained habitation layers c. 0.4m deep overlying the original floor and these continued in the circular chamber. A decorated bone fragment of possible early to mid-medieval date was discovered in the habitation material in the rectangular chamber.
Pits
Within the enclosure there was evidence of two groups of pits, with one concentration of pits to the north and another to the south. The finds from each group indicated that the northern pits were associated with metalworking, while the group of pits to the south were possibly used as domestic roasting pits.
Structures
One possible rectilinear house/structure (Structure 1) was excavated close to the northern group of pits. A series of post-holes and double post-holes were identified. Another possible house/structure (Structure 2) may be attested to by the presence of several rock-cut possible post-holes. These were found to the east of Structure 1. Analysis of the fill from all these contexts will clarify their functions.
Quarrying
Quarrying may have taken place at three locations on the site: in the ditch near the northern terminal (see above), at the south-western quadrant near the area where a wall was possibly used as part of the enclosure and at the south of the site, where a large quarried pit was excavated. The rock extracted may have been utilised for construction of the souterrain.
Reference
Cotter, E., Buckley, K. and Drumm, M. 2006 N8 Fermoy Mitchelstown Phase 1: final archaeological testing report. Unpublished Eachtra Archaeological Projects report for licence no. 05E1150 submitted to the NRA.