2007:1478 - BELREA, Roscommon

The site was identified during the EIS stage of the N6 Ballinasloe to Athlone national road scheme. The site consisted of a 19th-century limekiln, which was built into the northern side of a small hill. Two trenches measuring 20m by 3m were placed in a cross pattern across the brow of the hill. At the point where the kiln structure was visible on the slope the trench was extended to 4m in width in order to incorporate the entire width of the structure.

The limekiln had an overall length of 6.6m north–south and a maximum width of 3.45m. The chamber was oval in shape, measuring 3.95m north–south by 3.45m. Its depth was 2.76m. The sides of the chamber were gently curving leading to a stone-lined trench cut into the base; this trench was 3.2m north–south by 0.3m and was 0.1m in depth. The kiln on the northern side and at the base was constructed of stone and mortar; the draw hole located on the northern side was 1.09m in height by 0.35m in width and capped with a stone lintel. The rake-out area immediately to the north of this was partially enclosed by two drystone walls orientated north–south; the ground between these walls was covered with a thin layer of cement (probably lime putty). The sides of the kiln were lined with a layer of compact caked lime, 0.08–0.1m in depth, beneath which was a layer of heat-affected soil up to 0.05m in depth.