County: Limerick Site name: Ballyvareen, Kildimo
Sites and Monuments Record No.: LI0112–009 Licence number: 06E1100 ext.
Author: Mary Henry, Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd, 17 Staunton Row, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Site type: Fulachta fiadh
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 545419m, N 653013m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.625608, -8.806167
Archaeological investigations were undertaken at a proposed housing development site on the outskirts of Kildimo village. The purpose of the investigative works was to establish the extent of two fulachta fiadh which were revealed in 2006 as part of testing (Excavations 2006, No. 1270).
Both fulachta fiadh were located within a large, relatively flat field prone to waterlogging, which was endorsed by the vegetation that includes extensive rush colonies. However, neither feature was close to an obvious source of water. Both were positioned on the upper slope of a natural ridge and not anywhere near its lowest point. Both sites were in a poor state of preservation.
Located south of the centre of the field, near the western site boundary, one fulacht measured 22m north–south by 14m wide and 0.35m thick. It comprised a dark-brown/black sandy clay with frequent to abundant fist-sized pieces of sandstone. A number of straight-sided furrows cut through this feature on various alignments, which have had a serious physical impact upon the monument. On a north–south alignment and cutting through the western extent of the fulacht was a modern sewer line. The cut measured 0.3m wide and was filled with chippings protecting a pipe.
The second fulacht (also revealed in earlier testing) was located on the western side of the site. This feature mainly comprised a burnt spread measuring 9.1m north–south by 7.5m and a depth of 0.19m. It consisted an irregular spread of black sandy clay with frequent small pieces of burnt sandstone. A sondage was opened in the western part of the feature, where it was cut by a furrow. The furrow had an exposed length of 2m by 0.47m wide and 0.09m deep. It was filled with a dark-brown silty clay with occasional gravels.
Both features were heavily disturbed and damaged by agricultural practices, and in particular regarding the one located in the eastern part of the field, which predominantly consisted of a spread of burnt stone and clay rather than a distinct monument. Although one of the fulachta fiadh comprised a larger mass of burnt stone than the other site, the furrows extending through it have considerably diminished its height.
