County: Limerick Site name: Knockainy
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 07E0385
Author: Brian Halpin, National Archaeological Services, 4 Clyde Hill Mews, Limerick.
Site type: Medieval pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 568333m, N 635926m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.473847, -8.466113
Testing was carried out over the course of one day in a greenfield in Knockainy, Co. Limerick, in advance of the development of four houses and associated works. Three trenches were enacted through the site from east to west. The first trench at the southernmost area of the site proved negative for features or finds. The other two trenches proved positive for medieval disturbance. These features were isolated in the north-eastern area of the site. Three irregular-shaped shallow pits were uncovered which contained animal bone, charcoal and small sherds of medieval pottery.
A fourth trench was then opened to determine the extent of the features. This trench contained disturbance and fill similar to the previously identified features and is believed to be the northernmost extent of the site. The majority of the finds were of a medieval nature, coming from the shallow pits. However, a polished stone axe was recovered from one of the trenches. This axe was not found in a secure context, rather it was found lying in the base of one of the trenches during the testing activity and is not believed to be associated with the medieval pits nor any other identified features.
The site is therefore believed to be the remains of a series of shallow medieval refuse pits located in the north-east corner of the development. There are no features indicating any structural activity and they appear to be isolated refuse pits. There were no other features of an archaeological nature identified anywhere else on the development site during this investigation.
