County: Sligo Site name: Cloonamahon
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E004875; Ministerial Direction No.: A071
Author: Lydia Cagney
Site type: Burnt mounds and associated features
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 568681m, N 823637m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.160762, -8.479537
Stage (iii) archaeological excavation was carried out at Cloonamahon in advance of the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Development, Co. Sligo. The site was discovered during Stage (i) archaeological testing and was assessed during Stage (ii) Pre-Excavation Services (Registration Number E4627).
The site consisted of three burnt mounds and three small pits located along the eastern side of the site, next to the existing N4. The two larger burnt mounds to the centre and south had wooden troughs associated with them.
The centre mound had the most impressive trough, which appeared to have been cut into the mound itself or that the mound respected the edges of the trough through its continued use.
The basal layer of this trough consisted of five wooden timbers laid north-north-west/south-south-east. This base layer of timber then had an upright hurdle or wicker-like structure placed above it. Another timber structure was then placed around the hurdle. This was probably done to help support the more delicate hurdle structure.
c/o IAC Ltd, Unit G1 Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
