2012:562 - MOORSTOWN, Tipperary

Monitoring was undertaken at Moorstown, Ballyclerihan. Moorstown is located c. 10km north-west of Clonmel town. Monitoring was undertaken as part of granted planning permission to construct farm buildings and associated site works as they are within the vicinity of a church (in ruins), graveyard, a holy well and earthworks.

In the course of the monitoring works, a total of nine features were uncovered. Four of the features were land drains whilst four others were very likely boundary ditches, one of which was angled. The other feature comprised traces of a burnt spread. The exposed measurements were 1.5m (north-east/south-west) x 0.7m and very shallow, a depth less than 0.1m. Within the spread were heat-shattered sub-angular stones, charcoal pieces and charcoal flecks. There were no traces of oxidised clay evident in or around the spread. Only part of the spread was exposed as it extended into the baulk of the stripped area. It, however, increased in size as it extended beneath the baulk. Traces of the burnt spread was evident within the topsoil, which was likely to be accounted for by ploughing activities.

Further to the uncovering of the nine features, evidence emerged in various areas for agricultural furrows. Consistent throughout, they were usually positioned 0.3m apart and measured, on average, 80mm in width and were machine cut.

The extensive ground works had no adverse archaeological impact on the nearby recorded monument (TS069-060) located in the field to the north-north-west.