2016:390 - TRIENEARAGH, Kerry

Test excavations were carried out in November 2016 with regard to planning application to construct a solar farm at Trienearagh, Listowel, Co. Kerry. A ringfort, KE011-033, is located within the site. However, the monument is almost destroyed above ground.

Fifty-seven 1m-wide test trenches (T1 to T57) extending for a total distance of 1160m were opened. Topsoil was on average between 0.25m and 0.4m in depth. It generally comprised mid-greyish brown silty sandy clay and sometimes varied to darker hues. Eight test trenches, T1–T8, were radially opened around the denuded ringfort. Two symmetrically disposed c.3m wide possible ditch features were recorded in consecutive test trenches T3 & T4. A small investigative test box was excavated in the feature in T3 to a depth of 0.5m. The fill of the test-box comprised dark grey silty clay crumbly material with occasional cobbles.

A second possible ditch-like feature, 3m in width was exposed at a depth of 0.3m c.6m from the north-east terminus of T4. The revealed uppermost fill of the feature comprised dark brown material with moderate stone inclusions. A small charcoal/stony feature c. 0.35m x 0.25m was exposed in Trench 5 close to its northern end. No other possible ditch features were discovered in the other six radiating trenches which were all 40m in length. Furthermore, no extra-mural sub-surface activity associated with the ringfort was found in any of the eight radial test trenches.

Forty-nine linear trenches, T9–T57, were excavated along the footprint of the proposed solar farm. Apart from frequent narrow drain features criss-crossing the site, nothing of an archaeological nature was noted or recorded in the test trenches T9–T57.