County: Cork Site name: Carrigrohane
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0812, 08R255
Author: Tony Cummins, for Sheila Lane & Associates, Deanrock Business Park, Togher, Cork.
Site type: Enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 560322m, N 570059m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.881297, -8.576314
A programme of geophysical surveying and test-trenching was carried out before construction of a housing scheme in six fields in the south-east outskirts of Ballincollig. The geophysical survey of the entire site was undertaken by Target Archaeological Geophysics (Licence 08R227) and this identified the subsurface remains of a levelled circular enclosure (measuring c. 40m diameter) in a field in the north-east quadrant of the proposed development site. There are no visible surface traces of the enclosure and the geophysical survey indicated that it had been severely impacted on by ploughing. No other responses of definite archaeological character were identified during the survey.
The geophysical survey was followed by the excavation of test-trenches throughout the proposed development site. The trenches in the vicinity of the enclosure terminated at its outer edge and a metal detector survey of the upcast plough soil from these trenches was carried out (licence 08R255). There were no archaeological features or artefacts noted in the trenches excavated in the vicinity of the enclosure. There were two potential archaeological features identified elsewhere in the proposed development site: a single pit was uncovered 200m to the north-west of the enclosure and two small pits were identified 80m to the south of the enclosure. The layout of the proposed development has been designed to ensure the preservation in situ of the levelled enclosure within a buffer zone and the excavation of the identified pits has been recommended in advance of construction.
