County: Limerick Site name: Rathkeale
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 08E0677
Author: Lisa Doyle, Headland Archaeology Ltd, 25, Liosbaun Industrial Estate, Tuam Road, Co. Galway.
Site type: Multi-period
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 536639m, N 641273m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.519143, -8.933594
The proposed development site is situated to the south-east of the town of Rathkeale, Co. Limerick (LI029–031, historic town). The site is in the ownership of Limerick County Council and is set within the townland of Englishtenements. Testing was carried out on behalf of Limerick County Council. The proposed area of development, 8666m2, was stripped of topsoil by mechanical excavator. Monitoring of the roadway and the area for the houses took place on 16 July 2008. Excavation took place between 27 August and 11 September 2008.
The removal of topsoil exposed several dispersed features, as well as a network of ditches, furrows and field drains. Where stratigraphic relationships were identified the linear field features truncated the archaeological remains. To the north-east a paired-arc feature was identified. Curved gullies (004) (4.3m by 0.67m by 0.28m) and (024) (5.2m by 0.7m by 0.27m) were 1.2m apart at their southern end, the maximum distance between them, 1.7m, was towards the centre, with the gap reduced to a mere 0.3m at the northern extreme.
A cluster of pits was located about 14m north-north-west of the paired gullies (004) and (024). A large, deep feature (007) (4.9m by 4.5m by 1.3m) had charred and organic remains recovered from the lower levels. Three smaller rounded pits were also associated with the deep feature.
To the north-west five charcoal-rich pits were uncovered, one of which (010) (2.9m by 1.5m by 0.23m) produced material of a probable Bronze Age date and had been truncated by a large field boundary ditch. The associated pits may be of a similar antiquity but will have to be dated by independent means such as radiocarbon.
Fringing the north-west corner of the proposed open green space at the centre of the housing development, a second group of five charcoal-rich pits had been disturbed by stone field drains. No diagnostic artefacts were recovered but it is hoped that environmental samples will produce suitable dating material.
An east–west-orientated ditch was identified to the west of the green area. Fragments of modern china and animal bone were recovered from the homogenous fill.
