2008:1091 - Ballykelly 1, Tipperary

This site was identified during testing along the route of the proposed N7 Castletown–Nenagh road improvement scheme. The site was excavated from February to April 2008. Four cuttings were opened.
Area 1
This area was located on well-drained level ground and contained six pits, including one oval pit, 0.7m by 0.6m by 0.39m deep, one circular one, 0.36m diameter and 0.16m deep, and a cluster of four small circular pits, c. 0.26m in diameter by 0.15m deep. Traces of plough furrows were present in the north of the site.
Area 2
At the lower south-eastern part of this area, on sloping ground near the burnt-mound site of Newtown (E3901), were pits containing similar fills of heat-shattered stone and charcoal. Two were circular, 0.98m diameter by 0.3m deep and 0.8m diameter by 0.16m deep; the others were oval or subrectangular ranging in size from 0.72m by 0.42m by 0.15m deep to 1.77m by 0.95m by 0.3m deep.
On the level plateau in the west of Area 2 was a centre of ironworking activity. Four charcoal-production pits were excavated. They ranged in size from 1.15m by 0.58m by 0.2m deep to 2.25m by 1.37m by 0.33m deep and contained dense concentrations of charcoal with scorched oxidised bases.
Two smithing/smelting pits were also excavated. One was circular, 1.57m diameter by 0.12m deep, with an oxidised base. The other was oval, 0.47m by 0.32m wide by 0.04m, with a heavily oxidised base. Two fragments of slag were recovered from this feature. A cluster of pits and post-holes were present in the vicinity of the smithing pits. They were generally circular, averaging 0.43m in diameter by 0.14m deep. Two yielded pieces of slag.
To the east, c. 6m away, was another cluster of small pits, one of which contained occasional fragments of burnt bone.
Nearby to the east were three pits, ranging from 0.2m by 0.12m by 0.1m deep to 0.36m diameter by 0.14m deep. One yielded a small flint flake.
Another series of small pits was located c. 23m to the east in a rough U-shaped arc, open to the west. One contained burnt material, charcoal and a piece of slag.
Area 2 was bordered at either end by post-medieval field boundary ditches.
Area 3
This cutting produced an irregularly shaped burnt mound, 13.6m by 12.44m by 0.14m deep. Beneath the eastern edge of this deposit was a rectangular trough, measuring 2.8m by 1.68m by 0.28m deep, with a subcircular post-hole in each corner, suggesting a timber-lined interior. The post-holes averaged 0.23m in diameter by 0.34m deep. About 1m to the east was a large sub-oval trough/pit, 3.54m by 2.76m by 0.6m deep. This feature had a flat base and had a basal fill of grey alluvial and silted clays mixed in with the fire-cracked stone and charcoal. It is possible that this facilitated water storage for the adjacent trough. To the north of and partially covered by the burnt mound were six stake-holes in an elongated oval pattern measuring c. 4m (east–west) by 0.6m. The stake-holes were subcircular and averaged 0.11m in diameter by 0.21m deep. An oval pit of fire-cracked stone and charcoal was uncovered in the south-west, 1.5m by 1.21m by 0.37m deep.
In the centre of Area 3 was a shallow irregular shaped pit, measuring 2.1m by 1.45m by 0.22m, with a fill of ash, charcoal and other burnt material. One fill contained frequent amounts of slag. Nearby a post-medieval ditch had obliterated an earlier feature which had contained charcoal-rich material and quantities of iron slag.
Area 4
A post-medieval limekiln and field boundary ditch were discovered in this area. The limekiln had a single subcircular firing chamber measuring 2.4m by 2.1m by 0.77m, walled with locally produced rough-cut stone. A final unfired load of limestone remained in the bottom of the chamber and sherds of blackware were found beneath this rubble. A subrectangular rake-out led east downslope, measuring 3.3m long by 1.76m wide. The limestone bedrock served as a base for the kiln and limestone was taken from an adjacent small quarry.