2011:329 - LISMORE 1, Kerry

Excavations at Lismore 1 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 revealed evidence of a single phase of activity. The features identified included two vernacular structures and their associated features, as well as a limekiln.
Structure 1, in the northern part of the site, was aligned east–west and measured approximately 6.8m long by 5m wide. The walls at its western end had been completely robbed out or destroyed, but a compact floor surface remained. The eastern gable wall comprised an inner and outer line of uncut, subangular sandstones with a central core of rubble. It survived to a height of two courses (0.2m) and measured approximately 5m in length and 0.85m in width. It was adjoined at its southern end by the external wall. Only the rubble core of this wall remained in situ for a length of 3.45m; it was approximately 0.5m wide by 0.2m in height. The northernmost wall survived to a length of 5.4m. It was a maximum of 0.64m wide and 0.2m high, with a similar morphology to that of the eastern gable wall. The remains of a possible internal wall were also identified. The partial remnants of a hearth were identified at the centre of the eastern end of the building. This feature was intensely oxidised and measured 1.2m in length and 1m in width.
Structure 2, approximately 26m to the south-east of Structure 1, was not as well defined as the latter, with only the partial remains of two walls remaining in situ. The numerous drains, hearths and cobbled surfaces in this area also made the exact dimensions of Structure 2 difficult to establish. The southernmost section of wall attributed to this structure measured 2.36m in length (east–west), 0.47m in width and 0.15m in height. It comprised a single course of uncut, subangular sandstones aligned east–west. Approximately 0.7m to the east of the southern wall was a wall with an identical morphology, measuring 1.18m long (north–south) by 0.29m wide. A foundation trench to the north-north-east of Structure 2 ran north-west/south-east and measured 2.93m long (east–west), 0.64m wide and 0.2m deep.
A hearth, composed of subrectangular bricks, was situated approximately central to the aforementioned walls and foundation trench. This feature measured 1.4m in length and 0.82m in width and was heavily oxidised. Approximately 3m to the east of the hearth was a cobbled surface, which measured 1.8m by 1.45m and included a sherd of post-medieval pottery, a corroded metal item and two refitting clay pipe fragments.
A second hearth, approximately 5.8m to the west of the first, had maximum dimensions of 1.45m by 0.73m by 0.22m in height and was characterised by two courses of subrectangular flagstones and brick. The central flagstones showed evidence of in situ burning, while the underlying subsoil was intensely oxidised. Several sherds of post-medieval pottery were found in association with this hearth.
An area of cobbling directly to the east of the second hearth had a figure-of-eight shape in plan. It measured 1.36m in length by 1.1m in width and consisted of subangular stones set on edge. Two sherds of post-medieval pottery were recovered from this area.
A further two hearths were located to the west of Structure 2. The first consisted of irregularly shaped flagstones, which showed extensive oxidisation, and measured 1.25m in length, 0.94m in width and 0.06m in height. The second was 0.7m long by 0.5m wide and consisted of two heat-affected bricks and oxidised clay with inclusions of charcoal.
Four distinct cobbled surfaces were located to the east of the aforementioned hearths, and the largest measured 2.5m in length and 1.42m in width. A sherd of post-medieval pottery was found within this surface. Two pits to the south-west of Structure 2 both contained a small quantity of post-medieval pottery and may have functioned as waste pits.
A limekiln in the north-western part of the site measured 2.13m in length, 1.9m in width and 0.36m in depth. A cruciform venting system was cut into the base of the kiln. The basal fill consisted of light brownish-grey, moderately compacted clay with occasional peat, small limestones and pebbles (SUERC-37293; cal. AD 1681–1938, 2σ). A small deposit of moderately compacted, orangey-black clayey peat with limestone and burnt clay inclusions was also found at the base of the kiln. The secondary deposit within this feature consisted of light brown silty clay. This was moderately compacted and contained small stones and pebbles. It was overlain by dark grey, moderately compacted clay with small stones and pebbles. The uppermost fill comprised a concentration of medium-sized to large sandstones that seem to have been purposefully backfilled into the kiln. A linear flue, 1.72m long by 0.55m wide by 0.29m deep, extended from the kiln’s western side.
The remains of a road were identified in the northern part of the site. A linear feature in the south-western part of the site ran north-west/south-east. Adjoining the north-eastern side of this feature was a short section of stone wall. A series of stone-lined linear drains were also recorded throughout the site.

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