County: Tipperary Site name: Carrigatogher (Ryan)
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E003327
Author: Kate Taylor, TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Two round houses and burnt-stone features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 581504m, N 676819m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.841994, -8.274535
This site was excavated in advance of the N7 Nenagh to Limerick road project at Chainage 25950. Excavations were carried out between 30 March and 17 May 2007. The site was located on a plateau in the foothills of the Arra Mountains and overlooking the Kilmastulla Valley to the south-east. Two adjacent areas were excavated. It is not clear whether the areas were related so they are described separately.
Area A
The archaeological features consisted of a small spread of burnt-stone material and four pits or troughs with burnt-stone fills. One of the pits (measuring 1.74m by 1.41m and 0.7m deep) was lined with clay, making the feature watertight. A small stream was located adjacent to the site.
No artefacts were recovered from the area and the activity is undated.
Area B
Two round houses, a smaller structure and a number of pits and post-holes were examined. The houses were 5.5m apart and, although one was not well preserved, it could be seen that they were of a similar design, each having a ‘porch’ at the south-eastern entrance. It is not clear if the two buildings were contemporary or whether one replaced the other.
The southern house was the better preserved and its layout could be clearly discerned. A penannular gully with an internal diameter of 7m enclosed an area of 38m2. The gully was typically 0.2m wide and was 0.09–0.34m deep, being less substantial at the rear of the house. Two pairs of large post-holes marked the location of doorposts for the south-east-facing entrance. An internal ring of eleven post-holes presumably represented roof supports and 60 stake-holes included two partial concentric external circuits. The porch was formed by irregular post-holes and gullies and enclosed an area measuring 4.3m by 2m. Three large internal pits are unlikely all to be contemporary with the house.
The northern house was somewhat truncated by a large pit and modern garden activity and the rear of the structure was difficult to identify clearly. An arc of gully, typically 0.25m wide and 0.06–0.24m deep, formed the front of the structure, indicating an internal diameter of at least 6.3m and a south-east-facing entrance. A number of internal post- and stake-holes were recorded but there was no clear pattern. Two partial external circuits of stake-holes were evident, however. A patch of in situ burning presumably represented the location of an internal hearth and a number of pits were also discovered within the house. The porch survived more substantially than the rest of the house and was similar in design to that of the other structure, enclosing an area of 4.5m by 1.2m.
The third, smaller, structure had a partial ring gully and several post- and stake-holes forming a subcircular feature with an internal diameter of c. 2.4m and a south-east-facing entrance.
External features included a number of pits, post-holes and isolated stake-holes.
Finds from the site include an assemblage of prehistoric pottery, a small number of pieces of worked flint and chert and a flat piece of copper alloy. The majority of the material was retrieved from features associated with the two round houses.
