County: Clare Site name: Ballyvally 1
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: E005339
Author: Bruce Sutton for Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd
Site type: Brick clamp (temporary kiln) and adjacent pit
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 569340m, N 673903m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.815229, -8.454821
Excavation at Ballyvally 1 was undertaken as part of the Killaloe Bypass, Shannon Crossing and R494 Improvements Scheme, Archaeological Consultancy Services Contract (Phase 2). The excavation was carried out on behalf of, and funded by, Clare County Council.
Stripping and cleaning of a 13,25m² area at Ballyvally 1 was carried out in June 2021. Full archaeological excavation was subsequently undertaken at the site on 21 and 22 June 2021.
The activity excavated at Ballyvally 1 comprised of the following:
• Area A: A single pit with burnt bone inclusions
• Area B: A brick clamp (temporary kiln) measuring approximately 15m (south-west/north-east) x 10m with a layered deposit of broken brick and brick conglomerate, and oxidised clay.
The pit excavated at Area A likely represents the remains of a waste pit, with cremated animal bone deposited in the feature. Due to the small fragment size it is unlikely that this will be identifiable to species.
Brick clamps are post-medieval or early modern in date. It is possible that this feature is related to Ballyvally house to the west, which was constructed c. 1800. This feature likely represents the final firing of the brick kiln, which had fired poorly, resulting in an amalgamated mass of fired clay that could not be separated. The site was evidently abandoned after this failed firing.
This bulletin will be updated following (Stage IV) specialist analysis and final report compilation.
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