County: Wexford Site name: Drumgold 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004169
Author: Derek Gallagher, for TVAS (Ireland) Ltd, Ahish, Ballinruan, Crusheen, Co. Clare.
Site type: Trough, pits, stake-holes
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 699883m, N 639195m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.495010, -6.529038
The site was located on the proposed M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy scheme. Drumgold 2 was situated in a pasture field. The presence of rushes in the field indicates that it becomes easily waterlogged in wet weather, making water accessible for the trough and burnt-stone mound activity.
The circular trough had a flat base, sharp sloping sides, measured 2.37m by 2.26m and was 0.03–0.43m deep. The primary fill was a loose, yellow/orange fine sand with burnt stones. The secondary fill was a loose, grey/black sandy silt with burnt stones and charcoal. The tertiary fill was a soft, black sandy silt with charcoal and burnt stones. Five stake-holes were identified in the base of the trough, 0.04–0.08m in diameter and 0.13–0.22m deep.
The trough was surrounded by four pits; the first, 0.2m to the north-west, measured 0.69m x 0.6m x 0.11m and contained loose black sandy silt with charcoal and heat-affected stones. The second pit was oval and located 0.74m east of the trough. The primary fill was a soft light-grey silty sand with occasional charcoal flecks. The upper fill was a grey/black sandy silt with charcoal and heat-affected stones. Located 0.86m south-east of the trough was a small oval pit which measured 0.52m x 0.3m x 0.14m and was filled by a soft black sandy silt with occasional charcoal inclusions. A large irregular pit was 0.36m south-east of the trough and had gradual sloping sides and a flat base. It measured 3.9m x 2.15m x 0.4m and contained a primary deposit of a loose grey/black sandy silt with occasional charcoal and heat-affected stones. The upper fill was soft black sandy silt with occasional charcoal inclusions.
Located on the northern part of the site, 6.4m north-west of the trough, was a large irregular pit with two channels joined to it. The pit measured 3.05m x 1.5m x 0.73m, with steep sides on the north and more gradual on the south and an undulating base. It was filled by a soft dark-grey fine sand with occasional sub-angular stones. Connected to the east and west sides of this pit (extending beyond the limit of excavation) were two channels measuring 1.55m x 0.65m x 0.56m and 1.05m x 0.67m x 0.31m. It is possible that these channels functioned to bring water from a nearby stream or spring into the pit, which may have acted as a water tank for the associated trough and pits.
