2011:387 - ROSEHILL, MAIDENHILL, KILKENNY, Kilkenny

Monitoring of groundworks associated with Phase 3 of the Rosehill development, Kilkenny, was undertaken from 17 November 2011 and continues at the time of writing. The proposed development comprises the construction of 24 apartments in a four-level building with basement car park and twenty three-level dwelling houses in addition to open space/amenity areas, roads, paths, site services and landscaping. The development is located south of Coote’s Lane and along the eastern bank of the River Breagagh on the south-western edge of Kilkenny City in Maidenhill townland. It lies outside of the Zone of Archaeological Potential surrounding Kilkenny City.

With the exception of the western edge of the site, which is bounded by the River Breagagh, the ground level at the development site was artificially built up prior to monitoring by between c. 1m and 3m of rubble and hard core to level the previously sloping ground. Whilst monitoring has taken place of groundworks in this general area, no features or finds of archaeological significance have been identified to date.

A single small, shallow feature of uncertain date was found within the shallow trench excavated to receive the gabion baskets along the western boundary of the development, adjacent to the eastern bank of the River Breagagh. The feature was identified as a probable pit and lay approximately 4m east of the present course of the river. The feature was not entirely exposed during groundworks, as its western end continued under the thin strip of unexcavated riverbank, though very little of the feature is thought to remain unexcavated. The probable east/west-aligned pit was oval, measuring a minimum of 1.4m in length by 1m in width with a maximum depth of 0.24m. It was filled by a single deposit of mid-blackish-grey silty sand with occasional charcoal and frequent amounts of heat-shattered sandstone. A localised deposit of sandy subsoil with sandstone cobbles was cut by the feature. The feature is thought to be associated with so-called ‘pyrolithic technology’ (Ó Néill 2003–4), which commonly results in fulachta fiadh or burnt mounds. No finds were encountered.

Reference

Ó Néill, J.  2003–4  Lapidibus in igne calefactis coquebatur: the historic burnt mound ‘tradition’. Journal of Irish Archaeology XII–XIII, 79–85.

35 Beechlawn, Johnswell Road, Kilkenny, for Cultural Resource Development Services Ltd