County: Clare Site name: KILCORNEY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CL009-0210001 Licence number: 11E0200
Author: Christine Grant
Site type: Wall
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 521980m, N 699127m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.037114, -9.163327
This excavation is part of an ongoing programme of research into a settlement area at Kilcorney townland that lies within CL009-021001, a field system. The site is being investigated under a doctoral research project. Several enclosures identified within the field system define an area of dense settlement activity. This is believed to be predominantly prehistoric in nature, based on the recovery of prehistoric material from earlier seasons of excavation and comparative analysis with other dated prehistoric settlements on the Burren.
The purpose of this season’s excavation was to examine a boundary wall associated with one of the early enclosures. It may be contemporary with or later than the enclosure. The wall falls into the classification of ‘mound’ wall but is unusually large for this type of wall, being 3m wide. Its function is unclear at present. Animal bone has been recovered from within and below the wall. Radiocarbon dates should help to determine a date range for the activity associated with this wall. A second season of excavation planned for 2012 will complete the investigation of this boundary.
Thanks are due to the Davoren family of Kilcorney for their continuing hospitality.
Poulbaun, Corofin, Co. Clare
