County: Kildare Site name: Narraghmore
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E002854
Author: Gillian McCarthy, Headland Archaeology Ltd, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
Site type: Linear ditches
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 679612m, N 698314m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.029576, -6.813133
This site was excavated as part of the N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford scheme, Phase 3: Kilcullen to Carlow. A number of ditches were identified during testing, possibly associated with a barrow located outside the limit of the CPO. During excavation six ditches were excavated. Five of the ditches ran across the width of the CPO and only one stopped inside the area. They measured on average 2m wide by 1m deep and had steeply sloping sides and a rounded base.
The most northern ditch ran in an east–west direction for a distance of 40m across the site and joined a ditch running in a north–south direction towards the barrow. Three ditches ran in a north-west/south-east direction across the site and also towards the barrow and the most southern ditch ran in a north-north-west/south-south-east direction.
Three possible corn-drying kilns were also excavated, two of which cut through the top of a ditch. Some circular slot-trenches were located around two of these kilns. There were some post- and stake-holes near one of the kilns which may also be associated with the kiln activity. A pit and spread containing burnt material was found near where the area began to get wet. The pit may be a trough as it had four stake-holes in the base. In the southern area of the site a curvilinear ditch, c. 33m in diameter, measuring 1.5m wide by 0.8m deep enclosed parts of two slot-trenches which are possibly the remains of ring-barrows. The remainder of this ditch and ring-barrows lay outside the CPO.
