County: Limerick Site name: Kilmoylan Lower and Lisguagh
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 12E0371
Author: Patricia Long
Site type: Testing
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 583552m, N 650017m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.601168, -8.242804
Test trenching was undertaken in advance of construction of a proposed secondary school at Doon, Co. Limerick. The site consists of 6.5ha of greenfield. The test trenching programme was carried out between 12 and 15 of November 2012. Thirty-nine test trenches, totalling 2326.5 linear metres, were excavated within the footprint of the development. Three areas were identified as containing archaeology.
A series of six linear features and five pits or post-holes were identified in Field 1 in the area proposed for the haul road. Although no datable evidence was recovered it is possible that these features represent a part of a past settlement and it is therefore proposed that the area of the haul road should be the subject of a controlled archaeological excavation.
Four spreads of heat-shattered stone were identified in Field 2 in the area of the hockey pitch. It is believed that these represent the truncated remains of a number of burnt mounds/fulachta fiadh which are likely to be of Bronze Age date.
A curving ditch, possible kiln and a number of isolated pits were identified on a hill at the south-east end of the proposed development site in Field 3. No datable material was recovered but the site has the potential to represent the focus of past human activity.
The current development would have a profound direct impact on any sub-surface remains.
Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd, Unit 2, Europa Enterprise Park, Midleton, Co. Cork
