2007:1695 - KILNACRANNA, Tipperary

This site was excavated in advance of the N7 Nenagh to Limerick road project at Chainage 18950–19490. Excavations were carried out between 18 January and 16 February 2007. The site was located in the Kilmastulla Valley, north of the river itself and overlooked by the Silvermines Mountains to the east and the Arra Mountains to the west. Five areas were investigated within the site. The most significant archaeological remains were located in the north-easternmost trench.

A subcircular or subrectangular enclosure lay partly within the site; the majority of the monument was outside the road-take. The excavated section of the enclosure was 25m across and had an entrance at the south-east. The ditch itself was small, just 1–2.75m wide and 0.18–0.35m deep. Although a piece of clay tobacco pipe was recovered from the ditch it is likely to be intrusive and the enclosure is, at present, undated.

South of the enclosure was a corn-drying kiln. The kiln was 3.75m long and up to 0.3m deep with a 0.6m-wide flue and a 1.4m-wide chamber. Stone lining was evident in the chamber and part of the flue. Other nearby features included a hearth, a post-hole, two pits and a post-medieval field boundary ditch.

The other four areas within the site produced a few isolated pits and patches of burning and a large but undated boundary ditch. It is recommended that those portions of the site outside the CPO be entered into the RMP for County Tipperary.