County: Kerry Site name: BALLINDOOGANIG 2
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004316
Author: James Hession
Site type: Post-medieval limekiln
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 488321m, N 611374m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.242752, -9.635328
Excavations at Ballindooganig 2, Co. Kerry, were undertaken on behalf of Kerry County Council as part of Stage (iii) of the Archaeological Services Contract prior to the commencement of construction of the N22 Tralee Bypass/Tralee to Bealagrellagh, which extends from Lissatanvally townland to Flemby townland.
Excavation at Ballindooganig 2 revealed evidence of two phases of activity. The features identified in Phase I included a limekiln and enclosing ditches, while Phase II consisted of a utilised sink-hole.
Phase I
An enclosing ditch was located on the eastern side of the site. It measured approximately 10m in length by 2.3m in width by 0.22m in depth and contained two fills. The basal fill consisted of white, heat-affected limestone within a moderate to firm mid-brown sandy clay matrix. The upper fill was moderately compact dark grey-brown silty clay with occasional charcoal flecks and some partially burnt subangular limestone. It contained post-medieval material, including glass, metal and tile.
A similar enclosing ditch was situated along the western side of the limekiln. It measured 15.7m in length by 2.4m in width by 0.44m in depth and contained eight fills, many of which contained limestone and lime residue and post-medieval artefacts.
It was unclear whether the gap between the two curvilinear ditches was intentional or not, although considering its location close to the entrance chamber of the kiln it is likely to have facilitated access to the kiln.
The robbed-out limekiln was irregularly shaped in plan, with a semicircular northern area that joined a rectangular central portion prior to forming a trapezoidal flared southern part. Aligned north–south, it had a broad U-shaped profile and measured 12m in length by 5m (min.)–10m (max.) in width by 2m in depth.
Phase II
Phase II was characterised by a sink-hole located 2.6m from the northern edge of the enclosing ditch on the eastern side of the site. Material within this feature represents the collapse of the lower fill of the eastern enclosing ditch into the sink-hole.
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