County: Cork Site name: Kilbrittain
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CO123–022–01 Licence number: 08E0777
Author: Tony Cummins, for Sheila Lane & Associates, Deanrock Business Park, Togher, Cork.
Site type: Early ecclesiastical enclosure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 552681m, N 547347m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.676550, -8.684204
A programme of geophysical surveying and test-trenching was carried out to assess the archaeological potential of a number of tillage fields on the southern slopes of a hillside overlooking Kilbrittain village in advance of the proposed construction of two GAA pitches. These fields are located to the south and south-west of an ecclesiastical enclosure (CO123–022–01), which contains a 19th-century graveyard (CO123–022–02) and the ruins of a medieval church (CO123–022–03). The enclosure is situated on a relatively level hillside terrace and the only visible surface trace of its southern line is a barely perceptible curving undulation that extends through the field in the north end of the lands available for development. A geophysical survey of the proposed development site was undertaken by Target Archaeological Geophysics (licence 08R204) and this identified the subsurface remains of two concentric ditches delimiting the south-west quadrant of the ecclesiastical enclosure. The survey also identified a number of potential archaeological features outside the enclosed area and indicated that there had been extensive cultivation disturbance throughout the site.
A programme of test-trenching was subsequently undertaken in order to provide an assessment of the geophysical anomalies identified outside the enclosure. A metal-detecting survey of the upcast ploughsoil from the trenches was also carried out (licence 08R256). Test-trenching identified a concentration of archaeological features in an area of the level hillside terrace in the north-east quadrant of the proposed development area. These included a number of possible hearths, pits and post-holes and indicated the presence of a settlement/industrial area outside the southern line of the enclosure. A sherd of pottery recovered from the surface of one of the deposits has been tentatively identified as early medieval in date. The layout of the proposed pitches has been designed in order to avoid the ecclesiastical enclosure and further investigation of the external settlement/industrial area was recommended.
