2007:925 - GLENDONNELL, Kilkenny

This site was identified in the townland of Glendonnell, Co. Kilkenny, in the course of monitoring under licence E3387 (see No. 924, Excavations 2007, A032/033) following work carried out for Kilkenny County Council/National Roads Authority during the N9/N10 Waterford to Powerstown scheme. The site was identified as a cobbled surface area with isolated pits and a stone-lined trough (72m OD; Chainage 9140).

To the west of the site was a cobbled stone surface, which sealed a stone-lined trough with a timber plank of oak lining the base. The trough was sub-oval in plan, measuring 3.9m long and 1.4m wide with a maximum depth of 0.65m, and was lined on all sides by limestone boulders. None of the stones showed signs of being deliberately altered and are likely to have been sourced from the surrounding area. A single poorly preserved oak plank lined the base of the trough.

Three pits were located to the eastern extent of the site, in close proximity to a recently removed field boundary. The largest of the three was subcircular in plan, measuring 3.1m long, 2m wide and 0.5m deep, and contained charcoal-rich fills with an abundance of small stones throughout. The remaining pits were irregular in plan and contained single homogenous fills.

Two further features were located to the north-east of the site. The larger of the two was to the south, measuring 1.1m in length, 0.65m wide and 0.12m deep, and had a single fill with charcoal flecking. To the immediate north a smaller feature, measuring 0.4m in length, 0.32m wide and 0.07m deep, was identified and also contained a charcoal-rich fill.

No finds were recovered from the pits; however, fragments of 19th-century glass and ceramic, two clay-pipe fragments and a large fragment of a stone trough were recovered from the vicinity of the cobbled stone surface.

Brehon House, Kilkenny Road, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny