2016:382 - Coolgarriv and Coolcorcoran, Kerry

Test excavations were undertaken at Madams Hill, Coolcorcoran-Coolgarriv, Killarney, Co. Kerry with regard to a planning application to construct a solar farm. A redundant record previously classified as a cropmark enclosure, KE066-166, is situated within the proposed solar farm site. The Zone of Notification for a souterrain, KE066-041, extends into the western limits of the site, for a distance of c.44m. It appears that the souterrain was bisected in the mid-19th century during construction of the Killarney-Tralee railway.

Fifty-one test trenches (T1 to T51) were opened along the footprint of the proposed site entrance, internal road access ways and cable trenching areas. Topsoil was on average between 0.25m and 0.4m in depth and comprised silty sandy clay material with moderate inclusions of sub-angular sandstone cobbles generally medium/large and occasionally very large. Topsoil overlays subsoil of mid- to light coloured silty clay with frequent sub-angular cobbles.

Four trenches (T1 to T4) were excavated within the area of the souterrain. A feature was revealed in T3, an isolated area of in situ burning with homogeneous fills of charcoal and ash. The feature presented as a short shallow scoop 0.6m long x 0.35m in width and 0.06m in depth. Two sherds of post-medieval glazed red earthenware body sherds were recovered from the feature. An area measuring 6.5m x 4m was extended around the feature, however nothing of interest was recorded. No contemporaneous archaeological features associated with or part of the souterrain were recorded.

Five trenches (T5 to T9), were excavated across the footprint of the redundant cropmark enclosure KE066-166 (overall length of 40m).

Apart from the area of burning revealed in T3, nothing of an archaeological nature was recorded in any of the other of 50 test trenches.

3 Lios na Lohart, Ballyvelly, Tralee