County: Tipperary Site name: 13LIS-034, Killoran, Moyne
Sites and Monuments Record No.: various Licence number: 13E0325
Author: Tim Coughlan
Site type: Peatland structure
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 622130m, N 667031m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.753880, -7.672180
Following an assessment of the proposed impact of an extension to the Tailings Management Facility (TMF) in Lisheen Mine, 16 archaeological sightings were recorded in June 2013 (see 13E059). A programme of excavation was carried out between July and September 2013 which resulted in the excavation of these 16 sites and a further 28 sites which were identified during the course of excavation.
Site 13LIS-034 consisted of a stake row orientated roughly north-west/south-east. The row was made up of 88 hazel stakes that ran north-west/south-east in a roughly linear pattern for approximately 30m. The row was truncated in the middle of Field 4 by “sausage turf” milling. The stakes were generally randomly set with no obvious pattern other than their combined alignment, with up to five stakes spanning the width of the row in places and therefore the site measured c. 4.3m in width.
The upper parts of the stakes were mostly dried out and very poorly preserved, although preservation improved to moderate with depth. The stakes were generally between 15-41mm in diameter. They range in length from 65mm to 0.76m. Almost all of the stakes had a chisel point end with 10 recorded as having a torn end, and 10 unworked.
The peat (at the field surface) was a poorly humified (H1) sphagnum raised bog peat with some eriophorum and calluna. Some evidence of pool peat at the edges of the site and stakes at the south-eastern end appear to be within the possible pool peat. A moderate to well humified (H3) peat with some eriophorum and calluna underlay the poorly humified peat.
This site was fully resolved and no further archaeological mitigation is required.
IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
