2007:1563 - Annaholty, Tipperary

Archaeological investigations in advance of the N7 Nenagh to Limerick high-quality dual carriageway road project at Annaholty revealed an irregular-shaped fulacht fiadh. Excavations took place between 26 January and 23 March 2007. Work was halted during 9–21 February due to waterlogging. The mound measured 11.6m by 7.93m and was 0.32m high. A complicated interconnected series of features was located partially under the western part of the mound. These features consisted of a large rectangular wood- and stone-lined trough which measured 2.7m by 2.03m and 0.13–14m in depth. A large cut was located at the western end of the trough. This cut contained a number of layers. The bottom layer contained a large amount of broken wood. Much of the wood within this layer was worked, possibly as pegs and planks. In the western part of the cut three large in situ pegged planks were placed into a bedding of redeposited clay. Possibly the broken wood represented an upper step or platform which had once been attached to the in situ planks leading towards the trough. To the west of the in situ planks there was a pit cut into natural. This pit was medium sized and stone lined, measuring 3.4m by 2m and 0.35m deep. The pit was below the current water-table, suggesting that it was deliberately positioned to function as a small well. It seems probable that the wooden steps or platform linked the stone-lined well with the trough. One piece of possible worked chert was found on the metalled stone surface.