2007:1062 - Burke’s Cross, Killinure, Laois

The development is for the erection of a private dwelling house, garage, percolation area and associated works at Burke’s Cross, Killinure, Co Laois. Planning permission has been granted for the development subject to a number of conditions, including that the site of the development should be tested. The site is located to the west of Burke’s Cross in pastureland in undulating terrain in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains which lie to the north. At the time of excavation the pasture was closely cropped and no surface traces of archaeological remains were evident. The site lies within the archaeological constraint around LA011–005 (font).
There is little documentary evidence on this site. There is reference to the existence of a church site; however, the exact location is unknown. A stone font was originally located in the churchyard but was moved during penal times to its present location at Burke’s Cross.
A total of six trenches were excavated on the footprint of the development down to the natural gravel subsoil. A single feature of possible archaeological origin was identified towards the western end of Trench 2. The fill in the feature was reminiscent of that found in cooking pits in which stone had been shattered as a result of heating. Such pits are frequently found in association with nearby fulachta fiadh. There were no surface indications,; however, in the area surrounding the site of the proposed development of the existence of a fulacht fiadh.