2011:294 - BALLYNABRENNAGH LOWER 1, Kerry

Excavations were undertaken at Ballynabrennagh Lower 1, Co. Kerry, on behalf of Kerry County Council. The works were undertaken 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.
A total area of 1,173m² was exposed at Ballynabrennagh Lower 1, revealing three phases of activity. The archaeological features identified in Phase I seem to have been related to a prehistoric roundhouse, with later remodelling of this structure representing the Phase II activities. The Phase III features were associated with post-medieval agricultural practices and were therefore of little archaeological significance.
Phase I represents the earliest activity found at the site in the form of a curvilinear slot-trench and numerous pits, post- and stake-holes.
The remains of a structure (Structure 1), comprising three segments of a curvilinear slot-trench, were identified at the centre of the site. It measured 0.26m in width and 0.17m in depth and enclosed an area measuring approximately 6m in diameter. It was filled with dark greyish brown silty clay.
At the centre of Structure 1 was a hearth, which measured 1.43m long (west-north-west/east-south-east) by 0.82m wide by 0.45m deep and consisted of light greyish red silty clay.
A small cluster of features approximately 10m to the south-south-west of Structure 1 may also relate to the Phase I activities. They consisted of three subcircular pits, measuring between 0.23m and 0.43m in diameter and 0.1–0.18m deep, and two clusters of stake-holes, each containing four stake-holes varying in size from 0.04m to 0.08m in diameter and 0.04–0.11m deep.
A final isolated pit was identified approximately 6.6m to the north-west of Structure 1. It measured 0.5m by 0.2m by 0.03m in depth and was oval in plan. Its fill of dark blackish grey clayey silt contained moderate to frequent amounts of charcoal.
The second phase of activity at the site is likely also to be prehistoric in date, representing a reuse of Structure 1. A second slot-trench, curvilinear in plan, measured 2.84m long by 0.28m wide by 0.05m deep and was filled with dark greyish brown silty clay.
A post-hole at the northern end of the slot-trench, at the western edge of Structure 1, measured 0.23m by 0.2m by 0.06m deep and was subcircular in plan. Its fill consisted of reddish brown silty clay with occasional stones.
A suboval pit truncated the Phase I hearth; it measured 0.41m by 0.28m and 0.12m in depth and was filled by blackish brown, charcoal-rich, ashy silty clay.
Finally, two stake-holes were identified to the south and east of the pit. They measured 0.05m long x 0.04m wide x 0.05m deep and 0.05m in diameter x 0.07m deep respectively.
The third phase of activity at the site was post-medieval in date and related to agricultural practices such as ploughing and land drainage. These features consisted of a field drain and five agricultural plough furrows, four of which truncated parts of Structure 1.

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