2008:779 - Island Mac Téige, Limerick

An excavation was carried out in August 2008 on a development site in the Shannon Estuary, Co. Limerick. The site, Site 3, was one of three uncovered during monitoring of topsoil-stripping from August to December 2008. It consisted of five charcoal-production pits and lay west of Site 2, the site of two cremation pits (see No. 775 above, 08E0910), close to which Site 1 was located. This was a palaeochannel, alongside which pits had been excavated. The site was located 425m south of a fulacht fiadh which was also excavated by the author in 2008 (see No. 774 above, 08E0998).
The development site lies c. 17km west of Limerick city and spans the three townlands of Island Mac Téige, Aughinish West and Glenbane West. It comprises sixteen fields in total. The site is owned by Aughinish Alumina Ltd, who currently operate an aluminium plant to the north of the development site. An existing Bauxite Residual Deposit Area (BRDA) is used to store waste from the aluminium extraction process; proposed development plans propose the construction of a second BRDA within the footprint of the site.
Condition 11 of the An Bórd Pleanála grant of planning permission included a request for a geophysical survey (Harrison 2007) and monitoring of all groundworks. The survey uncovered a number of anomalies across the footprint and a subsequent test-excavation was carried out (Excavations 2007, No. 1114). One fulacht fiadh was excavated in spring 2008, in tandem with further testing, monitoring of townland boundary removal and the recording of six sites of cultural heritage (see No. 778 above, 07E0805 ext.) which had been noted in an earlier environmental impact assessment (Clancy and Deery 2004).
The development works proper commenced in August 2008 with monitoring of all topsoil-stripping and soil movement. Three sites were uncovered. Site 3 was located in Island Mac Téige in the south-western edge of the development footprint. This townland consists of a glacial drumlin which rises to a height of 10.16m OD at its summit. The five subrectangular charcoal production pits were primarily located midway along the rising hill and were similar in shape and dimensions, measuring 2–3m long and 1m wide. Evidence of scorching was visible along the edges of the pits. It is likely that the pits were associated with medieval activity in the area; Dysert Castle (LI010–077) is located c. 450m to the south of the site, while the tower-house of Aughinish (LI010–020) is located within the confines of the existing Aughinish Alumina Ltd plant. Post-excavation is currently underway and the results of the radiocarbon dates and specialist analysis have yet to be concluded.
References
Clancy, P. and Deery, S. 2004 Environmental Impact Statement, Architecture, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, Aughinish Alumina, Aughinish, Co. Limerick. Unpublished report, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Harrison, D. 2007 Geophysical Survey 07R0105 Aughinish Alumina, Aughinish, Co. Limerick.