County: Tipperary Site name: Derrybane 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E003591
Author: Laurence McGowen, Eachtra Archaeological Projects, Ballycurreen Industrial Estate, Kinsale Road, Cork.
Site type: House, Bronze Age cremation pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 593278m, N 679211m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.863772, -8.099827
Phase 2 excavations along 17.1km (Contact 1) of the 35km N7 Castletown to Nenagh (Derrinsallagh to Ballintotty) national road scheme were commissioned by Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority. Contract 1 comprises the western half of the scheme and runs from Clashnevin to Castleroan, passing along the Tipperary North and Offaly county border regions. Derrybane 2, testing Area 2.4, was tested under licence E3371 (see No. 1628 above) in 2007.
Excavation revealed prehistoric activity in the form of a series of cremation pits, post-holes, hearths, pits and stake-holes. A total of 57 pits, 36 post-holes, 33 stake-holes, 36 cremation pits, five linear cuts and four hearths were revealed during excavation of the site.
The site was divided into two areas, Area 1 (the western extent of the site) and Area 2.
Excavation of Area 1 revealed four cremation pits and seven other pits that appeared to be associated with the funerary activity. A further three pits, a hearth, two post-holes and a linear cut were also excavated in this area.
Excavation of Area 2 revealed three possible post-built circular structures and a series of cremation pits. The largest building (Structure 1) comprised eleven post-holes and two small slot-trenches with an entrance/porch at the south-east. A hearth and twelve stake-holes were located inside the structure. To the north-west of the house was a linear cut that was probably the remains of a gully. Structure 1 measured 7.5m in diameter.
A second possible circular structure (Structure 2) was located 1.5m to the north of Structure 1. Structure 2 was formed by three post-holes, five stake-holes and three pits. The pattern of this structure was not as clear as Structure 1, but it appeared to be 6–7m in diameter. Two quernstone fragments were recovered from one of the pits.
The third structure (Structure 3) was a relatively small, hut-like building with a diameter of 2.25m. It was located c. 22m to the north of Structure 1 and comprised six post-holes. Two linear cuts to the west of the feature (3m from the ring of post-holes that formed Structure 3) were probably the remains of gullies.
A total of 26 cremation pits were excavated in the eastern part of Area 2 and one of these pits contained an inverted urn. This was the only find from this part of the site. Another thirteen pits located in this part of the site were also possibly related to funerary activity.
