2021:048 - NEWTOWN LITTLE: Fernhill House and Gardens, Dublin

A spread of burnt clay was excavated on the eastern slopes of Ticknock Mountains, in the newly opened Fernhill Park and Gardens, in October–November 2019. The burnt clays overlay a granite boulder structure characterised by a box-like area at its northern end, and two parallel rows of large granite stones in a semi-circular shape emanating from it. The shape is similar to a granite configuration excavated in Druids Glen, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin (P. Duffy & M. Andrews, 16E0468) interpreted as a medieval cereal kiln. It may be the case that the Fernhill structure is also a cereal kiln, and the use of granite boulders reflects the availability of large granite boulders as a convenient replacement for sunken kilns.

Its northern end comprises a partially enclosed area, with three sides formed of granite, and the south-west end, partially cut off by a granite block laid half way across the floor. Behind the ‘box’ a large boulder with serrated edge indicated the chisel marks used for splitting the boulder.

The structure accounted for a large volume of burnt clays enveloping it. The clays were spread over a wide area, c. 20m x 10m, giving rise initially to the suggestion that they indicated a prehistoric fulacht fiadh. However no further evidence of a fulacht fiadh came to light.