County: Cavan Site name: Kilduff 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: A039; E3812
Author: Gearóid Kelleher, ACS Ltd, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Site type: Various
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 638312m, N 813944m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.073198, -7.414623
Excavation took place on 6–11 March 2008 along the route of the proposed N3 Butlersbridge to Belturbet road improvement scheme for Cavan County Council and the National Roads Authority. Three features of archaeological interest were excavated, a possible field boundary ditch that contained five fills, a trough that contained two fills and a charcoal-rich spread.
The field boundary ditch measured 6.5m by 1.2m by 0.4–0.5m. The cut of the ditch had a sharp break of slope at the top, moderately sloping sides and a gradual break of slope at the flat/splayed U-shaped base. This ditch had five fills, which were a mix of silty clay and organic material. This may be an indication of the ditch being cut into the already formed bog and over time beginning to backfill with subsoil and peat.
The trough measured 2.4m by 1.4m by 0.25m and contained two fills, which comprised a clay silt with heat-affected stones and charcoal inclusions. The trough filled naturally with water; there was no evidence for a lining. The spread was 3.5m by 1.8m by 0.12m and was situated 1.5–2m north-east of the trough, which was damaged and truncated in the north and north-east by the effects of ploughing. It is likely that the spread had also been truncated by ploughing and perhaps it once covered the trough. If these features do relate to burnt-mound activity, then it is likely that they date to the Bronze Age period.
A number of other deposits were investigated and determined to be root action or filled-in stone sockets; these were discounted as non-archaeological.
