2008:078 - Oakpark/Painestown, Carlow

Evidence of prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval activity was identified in the townland of Oakpark/Painestown, 2km north-east of Carlow town, Co. Carlow, in September and October 2008. Previous investigations by John Channing in the neighbouring townland of Knocknagee (Excavations 2001, No. 655, 01E0528, and No. 656, 01E0749) also identified prehistoric activity.
Six sites were identified during the monitoring and testing of a business park development, which extends over a substantial 70-acre area to the north of a golf-course that bounds the area to the north and west. The southern boundary of the site is delimited by the N9 Carlow to Dublin road. The area is partially enclosed to the east and south by the Oakpark estate wall (Site CH2), which probably dates to the 18th century and marks the townland boundary between Oakpark/Painestown and Pollerton Little to the south, and the county boundary between Carlow and Kildare to the east.
An assessment highlighted the presence of an enclosure/ringfort (CW002–012), as well as the former Oakpark estate wall (Cultural Heritage Site 2) and racetrack (Cultural Heritage Site 1). A geophysical survey of the area of the RMP (conducted under detection licence number 08R0021) identified the extent of the enclosure/ringfort ditch, which is also visible as a cropmark and slight earthwork.
An area of archaeological potential is represented by a deep drainage channel that runs inside the southern boundary of the estate wall. This feature is marked on the 1829–41 edition of the OS mapping and its current alignment probably dates to the 18th century, when the estate wall was constructed.
Site I was located to the east of the enclosure/ringfort and consisted of a probable post-medieval ditch and small pit of unknown date or function. These features may be related to a post-medieval reorganisation of the field boundaries in this area.
Site II consisted of two shallow pits, with evidence of in situ oxidation indicative of at least one of these features functioning as a hearth. No other features were identified in this area and the lack of diagnostic finds leaves the date of this site unknown.
Site III was located on an elevated south-facing slope in the north-east corner of the development site and was the most complex and substantial of the six areas excavated under this licence. A series of linear features were identified orientated east–west across the site forming the remnants of drainage gullies and ditches. A number of shallow pits with oxidised bases represented the remains of hearths or possible furnaces. A large volume of environmental soil samples was taken from the fills of these features in an attempt to identify metallurgical or charred cereal remains.
Site IV was located towards the south-eastern extent of the development site and consisted of a very regular east–west-aligned ditch and a series of pits. This activity may be contemporary with Site I and associated with post-medieval reorganisation of the field system.
Site V was located to the north of the enclosure/ringfort and was subdivided into three disparate areas. Sites Va and Vb consisted of shallow pits of unknown function and date and agricultural plough furrows of probable post-medieval date. The main focus of activity was identified at Site Vc, where a cereal-drying kiln and a number of associated pits were recorded. No diagnostic finds were recovered from this area, but it may be contemporary with the enclosure/ringfort and is therefore likely to be early medieval or medieval in date.
Site VI was recorded to the south-western extent of the enclosure/ringfort and consisted of the truncated remains of a fulacht fiadh. This site had been disturbed by tree planting but a substantial area of heat-shattered stone and charcoal-rich soil remained relatively undisturbed. Some shallow features partially sealed by this material survived, but none could be identified as potential hearths or troughs.
No finds were recovered from the excavation of these sites and post-excavation analysis of the archive and environmental samples is ongoing.
A test-trench assessment of the enclosure/ringfort and an excavation to the immediate north was also undertaken by the author under licence 08E0179 ext. (see No. 77 above).