2013:562 - TOBERATOOREEN, GORTDROMASILLAHY AND KILBAHA NORTH, Kerry

Pre-development testing was undertaken in the townlands of Toberatooreen, Gortdromasillahy and Kilbaha North, Moyvane, Co. Kerry in advance of a planning application to construct a wind farm. In general, the site comprises very poor rough waterlogged land with large tracts of lowland blanket bog and a substantial coniferous forestry plantation. A series of thirty-three (T1-T33) test trenches at 10m intervals and totalling 1.918m in length, were excavated across the site. A single archaeological feature, circa 1.6m x 1m was revealed in T4. The feature bisected the trench in a general north-east/south-west orientation and extended beneath the eastern and western baulks. Its full extent and nature was not revealed. However, its general morphology is very similar to other prehistoric hearths excavated by the writer at various sites in Kerry in the recent past.