2010:137 - Kilmacurrane, Cork

Testing was required as a condition of planning for the construction a new access road through Killmacurrane townland, Rathcool, Mallow, Co. Cork, to Carrigcannon wind farm (under construction in the townlands of Carragraigue, Charlesfield). The entire length of road was tested. The road was designed to avoid three monuments (CO040–12/01, CO040–12/02 and CO040–013), all three of which are fulachta fiadh.
The monuments have been retained within the forest as unplanted areas. Elsewhere the ground within the forest had been heavily disturbed by the planting. Centreline testing of discontinuous trenches was undertaken along the entire length of the proposed new road, including areas within the forest.
Prior to the excavation of trenches, a 2m-wide path was cleared through the forest; the trees were approximately fifteen to seventeen years old and were densely planted, less than 1m apart. The trees were planted on mounds of soil from a series of drains each c. 3–4m apart.
No soil anomalies likely to represent archaeological features were apparent in any of the test-trenches. There was no evidence of charcoal or heat-shattered stone or such materials likely to be associated with fulachta fiadh. The peaty soil in the low-lying areas (i.e. within the forest, Trenches 1–12) was clearly homogenous except where disturbance by drainage ditches associated with the forestry occurred. A sand pit (Trench 13) was the only area where the work of man not related to modern land usage was apparent, and this work took place within living memory, c. 30 to 50 years ago. Elsewhere there were no soil anomalies or finds or features of potential archaeological significance.