County: Tipperary Site name: Garraun
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A026/031; A026/286; A026/287–89; A026/291; A026/292; A026/294; E2494
Author: Patricia Long, Headland Archaeology Ltd, Unit 1 Wallingstown Business Park. Little Island, Cork.
Site type: Various
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 574799m, N 669941m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.779911, -8.373522
Archaeological investigation in advance of the N7 Nenagh to Limerick high-quality dual carriageway road project at Garraun took place between mid-December 2006 and mid-January 2007. Excavations comprised six areas (encompassing Ministerial Direction numbers A026/231, A026/286–289, A026/291, A026/292 and A026/294).
A026/031
No features of archaeological significance were identified on this site. A boulder identified during testing in 2006 as having archaeological potential was found to be a natural feature.
A026/286
A small number of irregular depressions and charcoal patches were identified on this site and have been interpreted as non-archaeological features likely to be the result of tree/gorse clearance.
A026/287–89
No features of archaeological significance were identified on this site
A026/291 and A026/292
An isolated trough filled with charcoal and heat-shattered stone in a matrix of silty clay was identified in the north-east of the site. The trough was oval in plan and measured 1.22m long (north–south) by 1.02m wide and 0.38m deep. There was no mound associated with this trough. A spread of burnt-mound material was identified in the south-west of the site; it measured 3.2m long (north-west/south-east) by 2.6m wide. There were a number of irregular shallow depressions associated with this spread, but none of them were substantial enough to have functioned as a trough. Several modern drainage ditches were also identified traversing the site in a north-west/south-east direction.
A026/294
The site was located on the edge of a large marsh where three townland boundaries meet. A number of archaeological features were identified on a natural rise in the otherwise wet boggy terrain. These included a shallow fulacht fiadh mound measuring 5.51m long (north-west/south-east) by 1.6m wide and 0.21m deep. An associated trough was identified on the northern side of the rise; it measured 1.12m long (north-west/south-east) by 1.11m wide and was 0.34m deep. The other features identified on the site seemed to relate to metalworking activity. A large spread of metalworking waste material was located on the summit of the natural rise. It consisted of charcoal, slag and fragments of ore- and furnace-lining, measuring 5m long (north–south) by 4.5m wide and 0.2m deep. Four shallow pits (max. depth 0.17m) located close to the spread had evidence of burning in situ and contained abundant charcoal in their fills; these are likely to have been associated with ore roasting and/or charcoal production. A fifth pit was also identified in the area; it contained charcoal and burnt bone which was likely to be domestic waste. Beneath the western edge of the spread of metalworking waste a possible smelting furnace was identified. It measured 0.47m long (north-west/south-east) by 0.39m wide and was 0.11m deep. The fill of this feature included charcoal, fragments of a bright orange clay lining and metalworking waste.
