County: Tipperary Site name: Farranrory Lower
Sites and Monuments Record No.: TS049-051(001, 002, 003) Licence number: 12E0124
Author: Patrick JH Neary
Site type: BURNT MOUND MATERIAL NEAR MEDIEVAL CLUSTER
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 633101m, N 651148m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.610573, -7.511261
An archaeological assessment of lands that were being considered for an afforestation contract at Farranrory Lower, Ballingarry found that there was a moderate or greater potential for the discovery of previously unknown archaeological sites, features, objects or levels. The recommendation contained in the assessment was that monitoring of the excavations associated with the forestry development should take place.
The landscape context in which the farm is located is worthy of note. It lies on the south-eastern slopes of the Slieve Ardagh Hills and the view from the lands extends from Mt Leinster whose summit lies 50km to north of east, along the Blackstairs Mountains, by Brandon Hill whose summit is c. 45km to the south-east, right through to Slievenamon whose summit is 21km to the south-south-west. All these summits have prehistoric monuments placed on them and the mountains would have been clearly visible landmarks at the far side of the plains of Ossary to the occupants of this land from the earliest times.
A barrow is recorded on the OS Discovery Series map at a distance of 1km to the north-west of the land, close to the summit of Warhouse Hill, on the slopes of which the farm nestles. Cashel is 32km to the south-west but is not visible from the farm. It is also less than 5km from the border between the provinces of Munster and Leinster which is defined by the Munster river into which the streams from Farranrory drain.
The area in question surrounds a medieval settlement cluster with a deer-park centred on a cylindrical tower-house, presumably of 16th-century origin. This tower-house was held by members of the Fanning family who had come to Ireland with the Normans and may originally have come from Fainent in Normandy. They appear to have controlled the area on behalf of the Ormondes for an extended period of up to half a millennium
In the triangular field to the north-east of the tower-house, where a potential fulacht fiadh had been identified during the assessment, a spread of black burnt-mound material was noted at the opposite end of the field. The machine-dug drainage excavations were abandoned at that point and no trees were planted in that field.
No further archaeological features were noted during the monitoring and only very few sherds of post-medieval and modern pottery and glass were found.
24 Talbot’s Inch Village, Freshford Road, Kilkenny.
