County: Offaly Site name: Ballard
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A033; E2493
Author: Liam McKinstry, Headland Archaeology Ltd, Unit 1, Wallingstown Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
Site type: Charcoal-production pit
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 632377m, N 722467m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.251579, -7.514823
Ballard, excavated in October 2007 in advance of the proposed N52 Tullamore bypass national road scheme, was situated approximately 2km to the south-west of Tullamore town centre, where the scheme crosses the R421 road to Kinnitty. Prior to site clearance the land was heavily wooded with deciduous trees.
A shallow circular cut with a diameter of 1.25m and a depth of 0.15m was identified in the northern end of the first offset trench within the field. The pit had a single charcoal-rich fill, with the charcoal inclusions increasing in concentration near to the base of the feature. An area of c. 5m by 5m was opened around the feature but no further archaeological features or deposits were identified. A sample of the pit fill will be used to date the pit and identify the species of tree used in the production of charcoal at that location.
