2021:570 - N55 Corduff to South of Killydoon Realignment Scheme; Killydoon 1-4., Cavan

Archaeological excavations took place at Killydoon 1–4 in advance of the construction of the proposed N55 Corduff to South of Killydoon Realignment Scheme, Section B, Co. Cavan. The sites were identified during Stage (i)a Test Excavation Services of the proposed route, carried out by Archaeological
Consultancy Services Unit Ltd on behalf of Cavan County Council from 1–8 February 2021, under Licence Nos 20E0729 and 20R0264.
As part of the Stage (ii) Pre-excavation Services, areas measuring 420m² centred on the features at Killydoon 1, 100m² centred on the features at Killydoon 2, 100m² centred on the features at Killydoon 3 and 420m² centred on the features at Killydoon 4, were stripped of topsoil by mechanical excavator, cleaned by a team of archaeologists and planned. Excavation was then carried out between July and October 2021 under Licence No. 21E0245. Three prehistoric burnt mounds or fulachta fiadh were identified at Killydoon 1, 3 and 4, with a possible fourth at Killydoon 2, in addition to a medieval cereal-drying kiln.
A total of five deposits of burnt mound material (C100, C110, C118, C127 & C145), two troughs (C121 & C141) and three associated stake-holes (C149–C151), a possible gully (C152), three pits (C103, C130 & C146), a spread of redeposited natural clay (C139), peaty old ground surface (C120) and one modern drain (C101) were identified at Killydoon 1. The burnt mound at Killydoon 1 was not only very large, measuring 16.1m in length and 11.12m in width, but at 0.71m in thickness it was deep, suggesting it was in use for a considerable length of time. The latter was also indicated by some distinctive stratigraphic layers. It was clear, for example, that the lower trough C141 was overlain by burnt mound deposit C118, into which the upper trough C122 had been cut. Above this, the two main deposits, C110 and C110, measured an average of 0.5m in thickness. The wood-lined troughs were intercutting. The lower trough (C141) was oval in plan, measured 1.87m in length, 1.48m in width, 0.5m in depth and had wattle- and moss-lined sides and a plank-lined base. This was later replaced by the upper trough (C121), which was sub-rectangular in plan and measured 3m in length, 1.48m in width and 0.36m in depth, with a plank-lined base and four corner stakes. Both troughs would have naturally filled with ground water and the gully (C152) to the west may have represented the remains of a windbreak or screen to help prevent heat-shattered stone debris from falling into the troughs. Three pits (C103, C130 & C146) were found to the south on higher, drier ground, one of which (C103) was sub-rectangular in plan with slightly convex sides and 0.62m in depth. The latter could have functioned as a roasting pit.
A keyhole-shaped cereal-drying kiln, consisting of a drying chamber (C219), flue (C247), fire box (C226) and stoking area (C227), was uncovered at Killydoon 2, along with a likely earlier burnt mound (C243) and later pits (C204, C213, C222, C233, C237 & C262), a possible post-hole (C200), furrows (C246) and a field drain (C206). The date of the burnt spread (C243) is not known, but it extended westwards beyond the limits of the excavation area into the lower, wetter area of the site and may represent the edge of a prehistoric burnt mound. The base and sides of the sub-circular drying chamber of the kiln was lined with flat stones and there was evidence that the flue had also been stone-lined. To aid the flow of heat from the fire box to the drying chamber, the kiln was positioned on a slope that dropped from 75.32m OD at the base of the drying chamber to 74.5m OD at the base of the fire box. Keyhole-shaped cereal-drying kilns are the most common kiln type known in Ireland and they largely date from the later and post-medieval periods (Monk & Kelleher 2005). Of the various pits identified, three (C213, C237 and C262) were intercutting and cut into the infilled kiln, another pit (C204) was positioned 4m to the north of the kiln, with another pit (C222) 2.1m to the south and the remaining pit (C233) cut the burnt mound (C243). The possible post-hole (C200) was positioned 4.1m south of the kiln and its base contained one large packing stone. The date and function of these pits and possible post-hole remains unknown.
A total of two troughs (C301 and C351), six pits (C302, C303, C305, C318, C319 and C328), one gully (C334), two burnt mound deposits (C300 & C349), two post-holes (C326-C327), one post-medieval/early modern ditch (C306) and furrows (C310) were identified at Killydoon 3, and represent the remains of a second burnt mound. The mound here was smaller than that at Killydoon 1, though a portion of it extended beyond the limit of the excavation area to the west. It was positioned on ground that sloped from the east down to the west, where it was wetter, and it was situated 50m south of the burnt mound exposed at Killydoon 2. The lower deposit of burnt mound material (C349) overlay the lower trough C351 and was subsequently cut by the upper trough C301, as well as five pits (C302, C303, C318, C319 & C328) and a gully (C334), all of which were covered by the upper burnt mound deposit (C300). A sixth pit (C305) was not cut into burnt mound deposit C349 but was partially covered by C300. At the northern end of the site, the upper trough (C301) had been cut directly into the lower trough (C351). Further south, two of the pits (C318 and C328) were connected by a gully (C334), suggesting some type of water management feature.
Another burnt mound (C400) was identified at Killydoon 4. It was roughly horseshoe-shaped in plan but only 0.18m in thickness and no associated pits or troughs were exposed or identified. It was located 25m to the south of the burnt mound at Killydoon 3.

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