County: Kerry Site name: Dromthacker, Tralee
Sites and Monuments Record No.: KE029-325 Licence number: 16E0370
Author: Aidan O'Connell
Site type: Fulacht fia
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 486194m, N 616544m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.288768, -9.668207
An excavation was undertaken at Dromthacker, Tralee, Co. Kerry in July 2016 in advance of the development of an Innovation Works Building. The development site was tested in October 2015 (15E0411/2015:112) revealing the presence of a fulacht fia. Full excavation was undertaken under the current licence in July 2016.
The site consisted of a burnt mound measuring 17m north-south x 13m x 0.37m deep. The mound covered 2 separate troughs. The largest trough (3.91m north-east/south-west x 2.37m x 0.91m deep) was located towards the south-west of the mound and was dated to 1002-826 BC. A second trough (2.81m west-north-west/east-south-east x 1.95m x 0.5m deep) was located towards the centre of the mound and was dated to 925-813 BC. A final pit was recorded towards the south-east of the mound. No hearths or other archaeological features were recorded in the course of the excavations.
Archer Heritage Planning, 8 Beat Centre, Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
