County: Tipperary Site name: Derrymore 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: TN017–084(02) Licence number: E003633
Author: Sinéad Marshall, for Valerie J. Keeley Ltd, Brehon House, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
Site type: Fulacht fiadh and pits
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 615862m, N 686095m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.925446, -7.764095
This site was excavated in September and October 2007 during Phase 2 of the N7 Castletown to Nenagh road improvement scheme. It was divided into two cuttings (Areas 2.1 and 2.2), in different fields.
Area 2.1
This was a fulacht fiadh site sitting in a localised hollow at just over 100m OD to the west of Monaincha and Timoney bogs. A large burnt spread covered two conjoined troughs filled with various dumps of burnt stone and charcoal-rich soil. The spread continued beyond the limit of excavation to the south. A total of 52 stake-holes ran around and inside the visible edges of the troughs, indicating a fence or windbreak. A number of shallow intersecting gullies running east–west and north–south were located to the north of the troughs, feeding into the smaller one. Also two rough shallow pits containing charcoal-stained soil and occasional burnt stone were excavated to the north-west and north-east of the troughs.
The smaller trough [0111] measured 2.5m long, 1.04m wide and 0.63m deep. The large trough [0022] was 5.5m long, 3.75m wide and over 1m deep. Both may be aligned east–west; however, neither trough was fully excavated as they continued beyond the limit of excavation to the south. No spring, stream or water source was visible. An antler awl was found in the large trough.
Area 2.2
This cutting was located c. 300m east of Area 2.1. It contained a series of very small pit features similar to charcoal clamps and a curvilinear feature cut by two of these pits. Many of the features were scattered randomly around the site but a group of five contemporary features lay side-by-side aligned east–west. The stratigraphy of the fills was consistent across this group of features. The top fill was usually orange/red clay burnt in situ. Under this lay a thin white layer of fine ash and the basal fill was a reddish-dark-brown containing frequent charcoal. All of the cuts were circular or oval, cut into the gravel natural. The gravel at the base of the features occasionally showed signs of having been burned or heated.
The fact that mainly one type of feature was evident on the site suggests a specialised area was set aside for one specific use. They would appear to be small clay-sealed ovens or furnaces. Their exact function and date are unclear at present as environmental processing of the soil samples has yet to be carried out.
Post-excavation work will take place in 2008. The archaeological works were funded by the clients, Laois County Council and the National Roads Authority.
