2010:689 - Ballycourcy More 1, Wexford

Ballycourcy More 1 was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. The site was situated in tillage.
Two phases of activity were recorded, an earlier phase represented by a trough with associated stake-holes, post-holes and pits, and a later phase represented by a modern drain.
The trough and associated features were located in the south-east corner of the site.
The subrectangular trough was aligned north-west to south-east and was 1.9m long, 1.3–1.45m wide and 0.33–0.47m deep. The trough had gradually sloping to vertical sides and the base varied between flat and gently rounded. A stream was noted beyond the site, north of the trough, and water seeped up through the trough during the excavation, making it an ideal pit for burnt-stone-generating activity. Nine stake-holes were recorded in the corners of the trough. The stake-holes were overlain with eight trough fills. Two primary fills were recorded, tightly compacted yellow/orange clay with occasional charcoal, probably redeposited natural and moderately compacted black charcoal-rich silt with moderate burnt-stone fragments. One of the primary deposits was overlain with two more deposits, consisting of a loosely compacted, black, extremely charcoal-rich deposit and loose, mid-orange sandy gravel with very occasional charcoal and moderate small stones. These deposits were overlain with a deposit of relatively tightly compacted stones (average size 0.1–0.2m) with charcoal inclusions. The overlying deposit was a moderately compacted mid-grey clay silt with occasional charcoal and very occasional burnt-stone fragments. The overlying deposit was moderately compacted dark-grey clay/silt with moderate charcoal inclusions and very occasional small burnt-stone fragments. The uppermost fill of the trough was moderately compacted black silty clay with frequent charcoal and moderate amounts of small burnt stone.
Very little burnt-stone mound or spread material was found within the trough. Remnants of burnt-stone material were visible to the north-east beyond the limits of the CPO area. It is likely that the mound or spread had been dragged by modern agricultural activity such as ploughing.
Three stake-holes were located south of the trough in a roughly north-west to south-east alignment and may have formed part of a structure. Another seven stake-holes and three post-holes were scattered north and north-west of the trough.
Three pits were located south, south-west and north-east of the trough. A subrectangular pit measuring 0.69m x 0.55m x 0.22m was located south of the trough, had a gradually sloping north-west side, a vertical south side and a flat base. This pit contained two fills, a primary fill of loose, light-grey sandy silt with small angular pebbles and a secondary fill of loose, dark-brown/black sandy silt and medium angular stones and burnt stones. An oval pit with gradually sloping sides and a concave base was located south-west of the trough. This pit contained two fills, a primary fill of soft, light-grey clayey silt and a secondary fill of soft, black silty sand with frequent fired and cracked sandstone. This pit measured 0.45m x 0.3m x 0.15m. A subcircular pit located north-east of the trough measured 0.46m by 0.44m and was 0.16m deep with gradually sloping sides and a concave base. The pit was filled with moderate, light-grey thick dauby clay with occasional charcoal.
The later phase was represented by a linear modern drain, located in the western half of the site, oriented north-east to south-west, and which extended beyond the site at both ends.