County: Laois Site name: Derryvorrigan and Doon, Contract 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A015/040; E2155
Author: Deirdre Murphy, Archaeological Consultancy Services Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Bowl furnace
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 624999m, N 685698m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.921530, -7.628245
An assessment was carried out in April 2007 as part of the programme of archaeological works on the route of the proposed M7 Portlaoise to Castletown/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill motorway scheme. This assessment of Contract 2: Testing Area 13 involved the mechanical stripping of topsoil along the grass margin of either side of public road R435. An enclosure site (LA022–012) marked at this location appeared to be cut by the road. An area measuring 515m2 was stripped of topsoil and this failed to expose any trace of the enclosure. A small oval pit measuring 0.38m by 0.3m was exposed; this had a depth of 0.3m and contained slag and charcoal within its fill. It was interpreted as a bowl furnace and was designated Doon 2. It was subsequently excavated and samples were sent for radiocarbon dating and metallurgical analysis. The results of this analysis are currently awaited. No further archaeological features were located at this site.
