2010:684 - Ballycarrigeen Lower 3, Wexford

Ballycarrigeen Lower 3 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site was situated in pasture.
The earliest activity on-site was represented by two troughs. A sub-oval trough was located on higher ground beneath the burnt-stone spread. This feature had mostly concave sides apart from a vertical south-east side, a flat base, and measured 2.35m by 1.2–1.4m by 0.25–0.3m. Five fills were recorded, including charcoal-rich clays and a burnt-stone deposit, indicative of burnt-stone-generating activity. Possible traces of a wooden lining and fragments of bone were retrieved from the primary fill. This feature filled with water, ideal for burnt-stone-generating activity. Seven post-holes and a stake-hole were recorded in the south-west corner of the trough, possible supports for a trough-related structure (windbreak, etc.). Two post-holes and a line of three stake-holes (aligned north-east to south-west) were located between 1.6m and 8m north and north-east of the trough. A partial wooden stake was retrieved from one of the post-holes.
A second possible trough was recorded 1m south-east of the sub-oval trough, beyond the limits of the spread. This rectangular feature measured 1.54m by 0.34m and was 0.25m deep with moderately sloping sides and a concave base. Three fills were recorded, consisting of clays and silts.
The sub-oval trough, stake-holes and one of the post-holes were overlain with a burnt-stone spread, measuring 14m by 6m and 0.4m thick, that consisted of four deposits, comprising redeposited natural and burnt stone. The spread extended beyond the limits of the CPO to the south-east. A possible alluvial deposit was recorded in the western half of the site.
Later, modern activity was represented by a north-west to south-east-aligned stone-packed drain which truncated the burnt-stone spread. This drain was in turn cut by a north–south-aligned double-ditch feature with drainage pipes.