2017:594 - Lartigue Lane, Ballybunnion, Kerry

Test excavation was undertaken over two days in November 2017 with regard to a planning application to construct five houses at Lartigue Lane, Ballybunnion, Co. Kerry. The proposed development site is situated beside a denuded ringfort, KE044-032. A series of nine (T1-T9) linear test trenches were excavated across the footprint of the development. T1-T7 were opened with 13-ton track machine with a 1.8m wide flat grading bucket at the western part of the site. Nothing of archaeological interest was found in these trenches. Two trenches (T8 and T9) were opened at the eastern garden part of the site using small machine with 1.3m wide flat grading bucket. The objective was to find the limits ringfort KE004-032. T8 and T9 contained up to 1m thick layer of introduced material which consisted of sand and modern material with some rubbish in it. The possible ringfort ditch was encountered at the eastern end of T8 and it is represented by dark grey stony fill. Closer investigation was impossible due to water ingress. A ditch with fill which consisted of similar material was noted also in T9. A small undiagnostic fragment of flint debitage was recovered from the mixed upper fill of the ringfort ditch feature revealed in T8.

3 Lios Na Lohart, Ballyvelly, Tralee, Co. Kerry