2007:1652 - Derrybane 1, Tipperary

Phase 2 excavation along 17.1km (Contact 1) of the 35km N7 Castletown to Nenagh (Derrinsallagh to Ballintotty) national road scheme was commissioned by Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. Contract 1 comprises the western half of the scheme and runs from Clashnevin to Castelroan, passing along the Tipperary North and Offaly county border regions. Six areas of archaeology were uncovered during Contract 1 trial-trench testing. Derrybane 1, testing Area 2.3, was tested under licence E3371 (see No. 1628 above) in 2007.
The site was split into three areas of excavation, Areas 1, 2 and 3. Area 1 (18m by 18m) was the westernmost area of excavation. Area 2 (93m by 30m) was located 47m to the east of Area 1 and Area 3 (17m by 13.5m) was located 36m east of Area 2.
Area 1
The excavated features in Area 1 included a possible kiln and two large pits. The possible kiln was a large sub-oval pit that was subject to intensive burning, full of charcoal-rich deposits, with a hard compact surface at its base. There is no indication of what type of material was fired in this kiln or hearth. The two large pits contained charcoal fragments and animal bone and they may have been used as refuse pits.
Area 2
The large area of excavation in Area 2 was characterised by several small and shallow pits. There is no indication of the function of most of these features. The entire area is truncated by modern agricultural features such as field boundaries and drains.
Area 3
A corn-drying kiln was excavated in Area 3. This was a figure-of-eight-type kiln that comprised two oval chambers separated by a slight flue. There is evidence for three or four phases of use in the kiln. A large oval pit was located adjacent to the kiln. The pit contained large amounts of burnt material, possibly waste from the kiln.